


Ouroboros

by TomorrowHeart



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:50:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 68
Words: 372,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6148189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TomorrowHeart/pseuds/TomorrowHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Chloe convinces Max to make things right, something strange happens, resulting in a new beginning and a chance at a life together. With everything seemingly "fixed," the two are ready to live normal lives. Lots of fluffy "Adventures of Max and Chloe with friends" with a bit of "dealing with things" thrown in. [Credit to the incredible MaiQueti for the beautiful cover art! I've put the links to her art in my profile. Check it~]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Forget The Horror

The kiss was still wonderful, even if their faces were drenched in rain and tears. It was something that had been swimming through Max's thoughts ever since Chloe dared her a few days ago. It whipped through the waves of her mind like a shark, coming to the surface every so often – usually when she was staring into Chloe's eyes. She knew she would eventually find the courage to do it again and really make it _mean_ something without the pretense of a half-joking, "friendly" dare. But she never imagined it would be in these circumstances. Right after Chloe broke down and formulated her plan to save everyone. After she offered, even begged, to die for the residents of Arcadia Bay. To be a hero that only Max would remember. That made the kiss all the more desperate and painful. Reluctantly, Max finally pulled away.

"I'll always love you... Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak," Chloe cried as she backed away.

The admission swept away Max's insides, the words a storm in their own right. She knew Chloe meant it. She meant all of it. Max had just witnessed the birth of the true Chloe Price. All of her pettiness, the one aspect Max didn't care for, melted away. All she could see was the savior of Arcadia Bay.

_Chloe Price, Patron Saint of the Damned..._

Max opened her mouth to say it back, but was cut off.

"And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me..."

_Those words..._

A bolt of lightning arced through Max's head. She recognized those words from several timelines over, when she devastatingly ended her friend's pain. Maybe, in a sad and unfair way, she was doing just that again one final time.

"Never," Max replied. It was automatic. There were no other responses. She looked out at the tornado, now pulling Arcadia Bay off the ground effortlessly. There were people in those buildings. She could imagine them swirling around in a vessel of death that she single-handedly created. She glanced back at Chloe one last time, hoping that 'never' was a sufficient substitute for 'I love you too.' Swallowing her nerves, she held up the Polaroid and began to focus.

_Oh Chloe... Take it back. Change your mind. Please. I won't blame you. I could never blame you..._

For a split second, Max considered tearing the photo in half. She could have Chloe... But the photograph began to shift. The image bent and quivered as it grew to life in her hands. She could feel herself being pulled away to that moment. But she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Max-" Chloe's voice was suctioned away as she slid through time, reappearing just as the flash of her camera went off.

_Fuck! Fuck! What were you going to say? What was it?_

Adding aching frustration to the list of her current emotions, she tore the photograph in her hands without even looking at it. She knew having it would be too tempting and she was so, so drained. And now, she had to be there, just feet away as her best friend was killed. Again. She wouldn't even know about the week they shared together. Chloe would die bitter, afraid and believing she was all alone in this world. And that hurt more than anything.

There was a seemingly endless moment of silence before the door opened. Nathan walked in and began to pace, talking to himself manically. Max felt at once immense hatred and a small, ember of sadness for him.

_If only you got the help you needed, Nathan... Instead you killed Rachel. Killed Chloe. And created a fixed point in time that causes a small apocalypse. Fuck you._

She heard the door open again, followed by Nathan's voice. When she heard Chloe speak, her stomach twisted in on itself. She let the scene play out as she pressed her back against the stall, clasping a hand over her mouth to catch the sobs she knew would soon spring from it. Her eyes wandered aimlessly over the wall before her, the graffiti triangle with one eye. She could almost feel its gaze.

"Where'd you get that?" Chloe asked. It was the immediate shift in tone, from sass to fear, that made Max peek from around the stall. Just enough so she wouldn't be noticed. She felt her hand grasping for something, though it only met the flat surface of the stall. She just had to _see_ Chloe one more time. Even if it was for her final moments.

"You are going to get in hella more trouble..." But Chloe never finished her line. Instead, she stood there with a slightly confused expression. This wasn't how it happened. Max had seen, or at least heard, the scenario play out several times while she fumbled with the fire alarm. Chloe was supposed to have more to say. Suddenly, Chloe's eyes briefly wandered over to Max, just barely leaning out from behind the stall. Her gaze was steel. Max's eyes widened.

_What the **fuck** is going on?_

Then, like it was the most normal thing to do in this situation...she smirked. She turned her attention back to Nathan, who was far too crazed to notice anything off.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" She shouted, thrusting her hands against Nathan. A bang filled the room, lancing through Max's heart. Tears, which had been falling for some time, hastened their way down her cheeks. She could hear Nathan screaming, apologizing to the room and to Blackwell and the world. He didn't mean to, she guess he was saying. The words sounds smudged and inhuman. She watched Chloe's blood ebb along the tiles. She quietly sobbed as the edges of reality closed in. The burnt Polaroid effect wrapped around her mind, pulling it from her current body. Pulling her from the most horrible moment to ever exist.

_I'm so sorry, Chloe. I love you so much..._

* * *

Max stared out into a golden sky, firmly rooted in the same spot she traveled through the photo. The storm was gone. The sunlight felt warm on her skin, but the cold ache in her chest remained. The strands of tears on her cheeks were cool. The town was saved.

_Hooray. Whatever._

"Chloe..." Max trailed off, watching the waves glisten under the sun. Even her name on her tongue felt sweet and horrible.

"Did...did that fucking _**work**_?" The voice fluttered in from behind Max. It was _her_ voice. She spun around in shock. Chloe stood tall with an expression showing flashes of tremendous happiness and confusion. She was holding her hands out and analyzing them in awe. "Uh...holy shit. Max!" Her voice was wavy with emotion. "I think I like, fixed it or something? Maybe?"

"Chloe? Is this real? Are you real? The town is safe and..." Max flailed her arms a little. "You're _here_?" Her feet moved without her consent, hurling herself into the punk's arms.

"Ow, fuck!" Chloe winced. Max quickly backed off as the girl lifted the side of her jacket, revealing a large bandage visible on the exposed skin around her tank top. Speechless, Max slowly touched the bandage. Chloe clamped her eyes shut, anticipating the pain, but the brunette's feathery touch was nonexistent. Then Chloe started to laugh like a lunatic. She pulled Max into her arms.

"Chloe, are you okay? What...what _happened_?" She asked as she felt the blue haired girl's arms around her. The contact filled her with bliss.

"I got shot!" Chloe beamed, the tears still rolling down her cheeks. Still laughing, she squeezed Max tightly against her. Her side burned with an ache, but she didn't care. She had Max right in her arms. Right where she was supposed to be. The brunette reciprocated, but was still confused.

"But what _happened_? It was different! That's not how it originally went!" Max looked around frustratedly, terrified this was another nightmare. Maybe she never actually woke up from it.

" _If you're reading this, it means you're dead." Fuck you._

"Max..." Chloe's voice was gentle as she pushed her away, setting her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders as she leaned down and stared into her eyes. "I...I don't know _how_ really, but I went back with you. I was there! I just kind of like...woke up mid sentence and I remembered everything! And I thought, yanno..." Her tone switched to something sly, "maybe if I move a little to the right?" She spoke so fast, clearly just as unsure as Max was. "So I guess when Nathan shot me, it wasn't fatal?" He eyes grew wide. "Oh shit, I could have fucked everything up way worse! Goddamn butterfly wings, I could have made it way, way worse." She pressed her palm to her forehead in worry, but a loud sob pulled her from her thoughts. Max's face was buried in her shirt.

"Chloe, you're here. Oh my god, you're alive! This is real!" She began to cry harder into the punk's shirt, slightly tightening her arms around her. She felt the girl draw in a quick breath.

"Damn, that does sting though..." Chloe said with a small laugh. Max began to move away before she dragged her back into the embrace. "Max, I time traveled with you! We fixed everything! I mean, I think. It looks a bit less like the fucking end of the world out there," she motioned one arm out to the bay. "This is hella awesome!" Noticing that the girl still wasn't saying much, only clinging to her, she leaned down and planted a small kiss in her hair. "I think we did it," she whispered.

"I can't believe you're here," Max squeaked.

"I'm here," Chloe replied, pulling her fingers through Max's hair. "I'm here, Max."

The two sat on the bench for a long time just talking. Max explained how the time traveling worked, that they were on autopilot for the past week. Chloe had heard this all before, but now she was living it directly. The conversation was full of loaded eye contact, awkward smiles and amazed relief. Finally, Max had the idea to look through their phones. It was a little tactic she had picked up to get her bearings on a brand new reality.

They each sifted through the texts that had amassed over the past week. In particular, Max carefully studied the ones from Warren and Kate. Some of them were familiar while others were new. As always, sorting it all out made her mind spin. Chloe sat next to her reading her own texts. She silently mouthed the words she was reading, something Max found irresistibly adorable. She sighed, leaning against Chloe gently and laying her head on her shoulder. She reached across the girl's body and gingerly placed a hand on her shirt where the wound was.

"Nathan confessed," Max said after some silence. "And...Jefferson was caught." Her voice shifted to bitterness while it stomped over his name.

"And they found Rachel," Chloe added quietly. She lifted her arm so Max could duck under it, snuggling in further. "Good. I hope they fucking rot." She looked down at Max, her brow furrowed. "What caused the storm? What did _it_ want?"

" _It."_

Max could agree by this point that the storm was a simple product of weather. It was a living creature. A supernatural force lusting after something, only growing bigger and more violent the longer it was deprived. It was hunting for _something_.

"Like just some Chloe Price blood? I don't get it. No way it's that simple. What was it after?" Chloe was contemplating it vigorously. Max sat up and turned to the punk, pulling one leg underneath her for comfort. Chloe mirrored the movement as Max took her hands into her own.

"Chloe, I don't know what it wanted. But right now, I just don't give a fuck. You're here. There's no storm and Jefferson is in custody. That's good enough for me." Her eyes were glossy with tears. She couldn't begin to guess the last time they were dry. Chloe smirked.

"Well I'm not exactly complainin', Max! I'm just trying to figure it out. I almost died, would it have even fixed anything? And I traveled through time! How!? Because I touched you just as you were leaving me?" Chloe winced at the word choice, but Max's expression didn't change. "You know what I mean. It's just different. I hear you telling me you do it, and of course I believe you...how could I not? But to actually do it myself! That's fucking crazy, Caulfield!"

Max looked out over the calmness. The ocean beneath them whirled with the usual waves. Arcadia Bay silently lived in the distance. It almost seemed like a painting. Nobody down there was aware of their possible fate. They sat in their upright buildings casually going about their business. Max eyed the blue haired fury sitting next to her and their eyes met. Chloe stared with a disbelieving smile, slowly shaking her head. Max moved toward her slowly and kissed her on the cheek.

"Fucking crazy," Max agreed with a tiny smile. "Welcome to my life, Chlo."

Chloe giggled the same way she used to when they were younger, a small hint of red spreading through her cheeks. She sighed and titled her head back, staring up into the cloudless sky. Casually, she looped her fingers between Max's.

"Your life is...hella strange."


	2. The Week That Never Was

"Okay, so...how does this work?" They sat in the truck outside of Chloe's house, their fingers interlocked. Chloe squinted at the house as if hatching a plan.

"Well, I don't really know. When I'm on autopilot like that, I still tend to act like myself. As far as Joyce is concerned, we probably didn't do anything differently than we would. But we also weren't aware of everything that we know now. Once Nathan shot you and we got taken back to the lighthouse, our autopilot bodies would continue on and experience everything for the first time."

_Along with whatever it is we've changed._

"This is some sci-fi shit, man!" Chloe's eyes were huge and she wore a disbelieving smile. "I can't believe this. I went through time!" Max smiled uneasily.

"I know it's exhilarating and totally fucking weird," she said, strengthening her grip on Chloe's hand, "but I'm so used to just fucking things up more. I'm so nervous the tornado will show up any minute like 'oh, sorry I was late ladies, I was busy erasing some other town off the face of the Earth..'" Chloe let out an audible 'ha!'

"I'll huff and I'll puff, said the big bad storm," she said in a low, sultry voice. She pulled Max's hand to her lips and kissed it gently. "Fuck you, said Max and Chloe, partners in crime and time." She was smiling, but then got serious. "It's not coming back, Max. I can feel it. I still don't know why, or what it wanted, but it ain't coming back." She smiled again. "I'll fuck that thing up! I know how to timeslide now!"

Max allowed herself a laugh, but remained unconvinced.

_Please, please just let everything be okay. Please?_

"Okay, so we go in, say hi and just kind of play along with whatever Mom says," Chloe said so she could hear the plan in full out loud. Max nodded. "Alright, let's see how this goes...shit she's going to mention Rachel, isn't she?" She eyed the brunette with scrunched lips. Max nodded again, but this time with sadness. "Fuck."

"Chloe, can we sit for a minute? Before going in, I mean?" Max traced circles on the back of Chloe's hand.

"Sure. Of course. Everything okay?" She was concerned, Max could tell.

"This feels fragile. You don't understand, and...and that's okay!" Max wanted to stress that part. "But we have to be prepared for anything. We don't know what's different." Anxiety circled around Max's throat.

"Max..." Chloe smiled warmly. She shifted to her knees, facing Max. "I _am_ prepared for anything. Because you're with me. We're together, and no matter what, that's all I need."

Max felt hot in the face.

"Oh...well..."

Max suddenly became very aware that their hands had been linked together for hours. That little kisses had been planted on cheeks and lost in each others' hair. The sudden realization that she was maybe just _finally_ getting everything she wanted caused her heart to pump faster.

_Everything will be okay so long as we're together. Right?_

"You're so cute, ya little dork." Chloe kissed Max's knuckles. "We can stay in the truck as long as you want."

"Aaactually..." Max allowed a goofy smile. "I think I'm good. I'm ready for anything."

* * *

"Mom?" Chloe called out as she opened the door. There was no answer. "Huh, not home I guess."

She picked one foot up and slid it against the other, trying to step out of her boots without unlacing them. She grabbed Max's shoulder for balance.

"Dude what if this isn't even my house anymore?" She smiled, finally kicking one boot off. Max rolled her eyes.

"I can see the pictures of you right over there," she gestured to the photos on the wall.

"What if it's not my house but they're creepy and have pictures of me?!" Chloe was loving this and by proxy, so was Max.

"Oh that's true, I never told you about the psychopath universe I ended up in for a couple hours..." Max feigned a serious tone. Chloe squinted at her before squawking laughter.

"You're a terrible liar, Maximus."

"Or am I?" Max giggled. "It's nice to be able to joke again."

"Agreed," Chloe added succinctly, finally flopping off her other boot. Then the door leading into the garage swung open.

"Chloe! Max!" David greeted in a tired but uplifting voice. "How are you feeling?" He asked, motioning to Chloe's ribcage.

His tone was so sincere and caring. Max could see the blank look on Chloe's face and knew that somewhere in her brain, she was fighting with herself on how to act. She never personally witnessed any of David's good side, but she had heard it from Max, and she believed her above all else.

"Still a bit sore..." She quickly joked, "I could use some painkillers!"

To her surprise, David said 'okay!' and disappeared up the steps into the bathroom. Chloe looked at Max.

"Dude, this is fucking weird. I still hate him but I know I shouldn't and he's being all nice." She was clearly conflicted.

"Go with it, Chlo." Max snirked. "Go with the Chlo."

"Oh gross," Chloe groaned. "You kiss your girlfriend with that mouth?"

Max immediately reddened. Chloe's face warped into a giant grin as she saw the embarrassment she caused. She straightened back out as David came down the steps.

"I got you your prescription and..." David trailed off as he raced to the fridge, before coming back with a bottle, "and water."

"Thanks, David," Chloe said. He perked up and allowed himself a small smile before erasing it into something more neutral.

"You uh, called me David. That's new." Max could tell this was a huge deal for him. Her heart twisted when she remembered his reaction to Chloe's death. How he lost control and killed Jefferson then and there. Again, Max's mind felt muddy when she thought of him.

"Yeah, I'm trying it out," Chloe played along coolly. Max was enraptured at how easily she was stepping into this. Maybe even a little jealous. "To see if it fits, you know?" She playfully swatted him on the shoulder before taking her pill and swallowing it. "So is mom working? I completely forget..." She actually winked at Max!

_Ooooh Chloe Price if you weren't so cute and...ALIVE, I would smack you._

"Yeah, one of the other waitresses called out." David finally turned his attention to Max. "Hey, uh, Max. How you doin'?"

"Oh, I'm good Mr. Madsen!" Max cheerily replied. He lazily waved a hand at her.

"David's fine. Maybe not at school...oh hell, I don't care. Formalities are the least of the issues at Blackwell right now." He slouched a bit as he said it. Max could see just how haggard he looked. Judging by how invested he was in the Rachel case in other timelines, he was probably berating himself for not acting sooner. Max decided to press for information...tactfully.

"Have you heard anything new about..."

_Jefferson._

"Everything?"

Chloe had wandered into the kitchen and was rifling through the refrigerator, but glanced over her shoulder to Max as if saying "I'm here, I'm with you."

"Well God knows when the bastard's trial will be...these things take too damn long. But Jefferson and that little Prescott punk will be behind bars for a long time. I'd like to see Sean Prescott try to buy his son out of murder. And Rachel, uh," He threw a sad gaze at Chloe. Her lips drew taut, but she continued digging through the fridge. "Her service is Sunday, as you kids know. It's going to be a big affair. She affected a lot of lives at Blackwell. A lot of lives in this house, too..." He trailed off, before shaking his head. "Enough of this sad talk, you two don't need to hear that. I gotta get to Blackwell. Max, are you staying the night?"

He looked at her, and she looked at Chloe, and Chloe just shrugged and nodded.

"Yes, if that's okay with you and Joyce, I'd love to," Max smiled. She really would.

"Of course. Joyce will be home late, but I'm sure you guys will be up. You stay out of trouble," David's voice almost slid into his old harshness with the familiarity of the phrase, but instead it remained calm and caring. And then he went back to the garage, into his car, and left.

"Yo that was hella weird," Chloe muffled with a cold slice of pizza dangling from her mouth. Eventually, she actually took a bite and chewed before swallowing. "That is not even close to the David I know. He never gave a shit about me." She wasn't angry, but contemplative.

"Chloe he _always_ cared about you. I know for a fact."

"It's just going to be weird to get used to. But nice. Wonder if it'll last." She opened the microwave and put two pieces of pizza into it.

"I know how crazy he was about the whole Rachel case, I know what losing you would do to him. I'm sure you being shot has mellowed him out a bit. Or a lot." Max took a seat at the dining room table.

"Goddamn butterfly wings," Chloe said with a smile. The microwave beeped and she removed the pizza, placing it in front of Max. "I know you don't like cold pizza."

She took a seat across from Max and started on a second slice. The brunette eyed her dreamily.

"If someone had told you a month ago that you and I would meet back up and have the experience we've had, would you believe them?" Max knew the sane answer, but wanted to hear what Chloe would say.

"Uh, yeah. Someone comes up and says 'oh hi, your best friend from five years ago that you're clearly still not over is going to return and have time travel powers. She'll help you solve the case of your missing friend all the while creating a tear in the universe.' Sure. Yep. I'd be on board." She shook her head with a smile. "If I was totally fucking high!"

Max giggled, letting her foot wander under the table until it was rubbing along Chloe's. The punk flashed her a dangerous smile, the kind that flipped Max's stomach.

"Jesus I'm starving," she said, looking at the empty pizza box on the counter. "Is that like a time travel effect? Do you get hungry all the time? But like what if you already ate in that timeline and when you popped out you were super hungry but couldn't eat anything because you were hella full and you'd just end up barfing up all the food you ate because..." she suddenly stopped and looked at Max. "This fucking pill got me high!"

Max howled in laughter. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was comfortable, smiling and unafraid.

* * *

"I'm trippin' here."

Chloe was scanning her Facebook in hopes of filling in missing patches of her week. She turned to face Max laying on the bed.

"Did we seriously fix everything?"

"I don't know," Max said contemplatively. "I'm so happy but still so damn nervous. You don't understand, Chloe. Every time I messed with...time, I screwed something else up entirely. I mean, I almost sacrificed you!" Now she was crying, her tears streaming sideways off her cheeks.

Chloe sat down on the bed and began to run her fingers through the smaller girl's hair.

"You were only doing as I asked." Chloe's voice was tiny. "It's not like you were pulling the trigger. We were trying to fix everything and that plan was just kind of our duct tape." Max flinched at that and hoped Chloe didn't notice.

_So am I going to have a phobia of duct tape now? I can see the talk show tagline now: Are you afraid of office supplies?! Call 1-800-IAMSCARRED._

She propped the brunette up a little before pulling her head into her lap. They were silent for a moment, Chloe's fingers slipping through Max's locks in what she hoped was a comforting way. "Are you...mad that I changed things without thinking of the repercussions?"

The punk's eyes were pointed down, and if she had a tail, it'd be between her legs. Max looked up incredulously.

"No! I'm ecstatic! I just...I almost let you die. And apparently that would have been for nothing!" She buried her face into Chloe's leg. "I don't know what I would have done without you." Her voice was muffled, but Chloe could hear the hitches. She sighed. "It's just going to take a while for me to really process everything that's happened. I've just been going and going. I'm so tired." Chloe linked her fingers with Max's and pulled her hand to her lips.

"I know, Max." Her voice was quiet and soothing. Shifting herself, she laid down next to Max, still keeping one hand locked with the petite girl's. Chloe latched onto Max's bright blue eyes. She smiled warmly, hoping to high heaven and any deity receiving calls she was being any level of comforting. Max's expression remained neutral as tears glided down her cheeks. "Hey, hey," Chloe said as she chased the tears away. "It's okay."

"Since when are you so damn maternal?" Max chuckled through tears. Chloe grinned.

"Fuck you, Caulfield." She kissed Max on the temple, pulling away only enough so their foreheads were touching. "I'm serious, yanno? We'll get through it together. I'm here and I'm never leaving you." She opened her arms wide and consumed Max in a hug, pulling her tight against her. "Plus..." She let out a small laugh that lashed gently against the brunette's cheek. "These painkillers are making me hella mushy."

"I bet you didn't expect David to actually get you some when you asked for it." Her giggle was heavenly to the punk.

"Hell no, but I do love when a joking suggestion works out in my favor."

Max wondered if underneath Chloe's beautiful smile, she was contemplating everything as much as she was. But her next sentence stifled that thought process.

"Liiiike when I dared a certain someone to kiss me." Her voice was low and devious. Max grinned with reckless abandon, an expression she was sure looked stupid.

"Would it freak you out if I told you I rewound that moment about a dozen times?"

"No _fucking_ way!" Chloe's eyes were wide. "You kissed me twelve times and I only got one!? Not cool, Mad Max." Max giggled as she ran a hand through bright blue hair.

"Was pretty cool to me..." Max said sheepishly. Chloe feigned a dramatic sigh before smiling impishly.

"Guess that means I have to play catch up." Her gaze was so intense, pulling all of Max's attention to it. She stared back into Chloe's electric eyes, seeing herself in them. You couldn't believe this reflection had been bending time to her will. She realized Chloe was probably waiting for a response, or the go-ahead to kiss her. Her mind was spinning. Suddenly, her self-doubt got the better of her, tracing one shattered finger along her spine.

"You actually want to?" She couldn't break eye contact, Chloe's eyes a magnet for her own. She knew her voice sounded lost and afraid. The punk scrunched her lips to one side.

"Max...I..." She huffed and sat up, pulling her legs under her Indian style. "Okay, while you have me under the influence, let's talk about this." She gently tugged Max's hand, signaling her to sit up with her. She laced their fingers together. Max looked so unsure and it killed Chloe. "I mean it when I say I'm never leaving you. And if that means as friends, then that's what it means. But what we've been through together... You traveled through fucking _time and space_ to be with me! You are my hero and...you're perfect, Max. You always have been the best person in my life. The best part of my life."

Max was crying but wasn't making a show of it. These were the best kind of tears. Chloe pretended not to notice, which she appreciated.

"I think this whole thing was destiny. This whole goddamn thing. And I, you know..." She smiled and shook her head, like she was in disbelief. "I love you. Think I probably always have."

"Chloe..." Max gasped. Then she giggled, music to Chloe's ears. "You are so high right now." Chloe looked down, clearly wounded at the lack of reciprocation. The small girl lurched forward, placing her hands on Chloe's cheeks and straightening her so they could look into each others' eyes. "No, no. Fuck. I'm sorry." She sighed. "Chloe, I am completely and hopelessly yours." She bonked their foreheads together, smiling. "You're right. I traveled through time to make sure you were safe. You were and are my number one priority."

Chloe interrupted her, placing kisses on her forehead, grinning brightly.

"Think about it," Max said after surviving the onslaught of sweetness. "That week doesn't exist in the way we remember it anymore. We're the only ones who remember everything that happened. I can't begin to imagine something more intimate. We have our own special hideout no one will ever be able to touch. The Week That Never Was. And I'd do it all again, I would redo every single moment if it meant we could be together." As soon as the last word passed her lips, she had them against Chloe's.

It grew from sweetness to passionate, swallowing them both until only they existed. Finally, Max pulled back, her eyes half-lidded. Chloe's eyes were wide open, reflective with tears and love.

_Wowser, Max. Wait, don't say that out loud._

"Fuck," Chloe said in the smallest voice she had ever heard. Max tried to suppress a laugh, but that attempt was futile. Chloe began to laugh too, but it was sweet and low.

"Basically, I love you too." She finally said, lightly stroking Chloe's cheek. She tilted her head to the side, looking at her friend inquisitively. "Were you serious about your girlfriend comment earlier?"

"Uh, hell yes. I told you I love when a joking suggestion works out in my favor!"

Max's blue haired angel looked so happy and alive, metaphorically (and literally.) She thought of the photo Joyce showed her, the one that dragged her back to the day William died. She rememberd her comment that it was the last time she was ever truly happy. Her heart erupted at the thought that maybe...she could be the one to make her like that again.

"Shit, you are so amazing." Chloe said, diving in for another short kiss. "So...we're together then?"

"We always have been, Chloe." She could feel the heat from Max's smile. Or maybe it was coming from her cheeks.

"Aaaand I get to kiss you all the time?" Chloe cocked an eyebrow, looking at Max seductively.

"All the time. All _through_ time."

So they kissed again. And again. Eventually, when air was sparse, they both collapsed onto the bed. Slightly sweaty and nervous in the best way possible, Max ran her fingers through Chloe's mane.

"We're going to be able to live life, Max. I've never been so happy to be boring." Her eyes were closed as she received Max's touch. Max's lip tugged up in a smile.

"I really hope so. No more storms. No more time travel. No more rewinding." It was a thought that had been bobbing around the back of her head since the lighthouse. She wouldn't use her powers again. Maybe she didn't even have them anymore.

"You're not gonna rewind anymore?" Chloe peeked one eye open and focused it on Max.

"Why would I need to? This is best possible outcome. Plus, like I said, I've fucked up more things than I fixed. We got so lucky this time. We finally fixed everything...well, you fixed everything." Max frowned. She wasn't sure why, but this upset her. Even with time at her disposal, she needed someone else to put the pieces back together. Chloe read her thoughts.

"It was a team effort. We're the best! Time Pirates!" Chloe kissed Max's cheek, chasing her uncertainty away. "Buuuut maybe you're right about no more rewind. I got hella careless expecting you to fix everything. Too bad we didn't get a chance to win the lottery with it or something." Her eyes darted to the side, losing herself in thought.

"Chloe, I'm not going to time travel to win the lottery."

"I know! But let's keep that in our back pocket." She winked. "Just in case!" She snaked her arms around the small girl, draping a leg across Max's. "But we really did do it. I can't believe it." She saw Max's smile flash in and out of existence. "What's going on in there, cutie?"

Max grinned at the pet name, then sighed lightly.

"I've just seen a lot this past week. Like my heart has a total thousand yard stare. As perfect as everything is, there's going to be a small part of me that is worried or anxious. And you're so...happy and calm. Aren't you worried that we might have screwed something up? Or maybe something already is and we haven't figured it out yet. I've been around the block a few times and sometimes the changes aren't immediately obvious." She let out a deep, troubled breath.

"I know things got fucked up when you saved Dad..." The blue haired girl's voice faltered briefly, before becoming reassuring again. "I can't begin to imagine all the shit you've been through. With..." Chloe thought better of it. "Everything, you know? But this time, we did it together. And nothing can stop us. We have the power of..."

"True love?" Max interrupted with a smile.

"Well I was going to say badassery, but I kind of like your answer better." She pecked Max on the nose. She seemed to have successfully calmed Max down, and was happy with that. They had a frozen moment of looking into each others' eyes, smiles growing bigger every second.

"Chloe?" A voice came from downstairs, a door shutting behind it. She sprung off her bed.

"Mom's home!" She sounded relieved. She raced for the door, pulling Max along with her.

"Oof!" Chloe wrapped Joyce in a giant hug once she reached the landing. "Where in the world is this coming from?" Joyce's southern drawl was beautiful music to Max's ears. Chloe backed off casually.

"It's been a long week and I'm hella hungry." Chloe being Chloe, trying to maintain whatever Max hadn't taken of her hard exterior.

"Uh huh, that sounds about right." Joyce was doing the same, trying to sound disinterested but her smile betrayed her. "How are you feelin', sweetie?" She gestured to Chloe's side.

"It's okay. David gave me painkillers!" She smiled happily with two thumbs up. Joyce dropped her head to the side.

"My little druggie." She looked at Max. "You stayin' the night, kiddo?" Max nodded happily. "Good. It's so nice to have you back in our lives."

"It's great to be back, Joyce."

_Like_ **back** _back._

"I suppose I can whip something up before I head to bed for my wounded daughter." She winked at Max. "What are y'all thinking?"

"Breakfast for dinner!" Chloe shouted with her fists in the air. "Brinner!" She looked at Max excitedly, who only shook her head.

"You ate at the diner this morning! Are you sure?" Joyce eyed Chloe skeptically. The punk shot Max an 'oops' look. "You're going to turn into a pancake." She regarded Chloe. "Might be an improvement."

"I would be fucking tasty!" Chloe said with a grin.

_I can believe that._

"Mhm," Joyce shook her head. "Well, would you two mind helping me? I'm exhausted." Joyce asked as she pulled milk from the fridge.

"Of course, Joyce," Max said, taking it from her hands.

"I suppose, mother." Chloe said, rolling her eyes, smiling.


	3. Phoenix

Chloe sat on her desk, one leg draped out the window as she slowly pulled on a cigarette. The moon was big and bright, but more importantly, it was just a normal, beautiful moon. She stared off into the darkness, occasionally looking down as the ember grew bright with her puffs. Max sat on the bed, playing on her phone.

"Hey..." She said looking up at Chloe. "It's 12AM." Chloe turned to meet her gaze.

"Trading rewind powers for telling time powers, eh? It's a bold strategy, Caulfield. Let's see if it pays off for ya." Being in mostly darkness, Max could only really see a grin hanging in thin air.

_'We're all mad here,'_ Max giggled to herself.

"No, it's 12AM, Chloe. It's Saturday. We made it through the whole day with no storm or universe collapse." She was full of relief. Chloe stamped her cigarette out and dropped it in the ashtray before closing the window.

"I told you we made it." She took a seat next to Max, wrapping an arm around her. "Super Max and Chloe, 1. Time tornado, 0." The small girl rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"I've been texting Kate. She had to talk to the police." She scrolled through her conversation with her on her phone.

"That's probably stressful," Chloe said, scratching at her hair through her beanie. "Apparently I already talked to the cops when I was in zombie mode. So that's a conversation I'm glad I wasn't really _there_ for."

Max placed a soft kiss on Chloe's cheek.

"You know you'll probably have to go back. This isn't going to slink away and die like it should." Max nuzzled into the punk's chest. "God knows Sean Prescott won't go down without a fight."

"Oh, fuck that guy. I wish I could have seen his reaction when his precious little boy was caught." The punk's voice was barbed.

"Precious is probably not the right word," Max mused out loud. "I know everything he did to you and Rachel and Kate was so fucked up, but...Nathan was just the tool controlled by much worse people. I feel sorry for him, in a totally deranged way." She looked up to see Chloe's expression was steel. "Is that stupid?"

"Forgive me if my compassion-ometer is broken, but I can't bring myself to feel anything for that brat. He killed Rachel." Her hard gaze softened. "I don't blame you for thinking it, though. I think the old me would have flipped a bitch and burned half the town down if you had said something like that. But the truth is, you know more about all this then I could ever begin to." She hesitated, then continued. "With Jefferson...I don't know what happened. I know logically that he was the one pulling the strings, but Nathan's face is still the one I associate with everything."

Max felt her hand spasm, the instinct to rewind before Jefferson could do anything else to her.

_I had a_ fucking _crush on him once. So, so stupid._

"But we don't have to talk about it until you're ready." Chloe added in, her voice piercing through the darkness brewing in Max's head.

"Thanks, Chloe. I appreciate it." Max snuggled into her, but not before noticing a small look of regret on the girl's face. She reached out for the exposed bandage and touched it lightly. "How's the booboo?" She was trying to sound somewhat mocking, but it came out mostly worry. Chloe 'hmm'd.'

"Let's find out, I guess." She sighed as she stood up, yanking her tank top off, the momentum tearing her beanie off with it. Max blushed slightly, but it wasn't noticeable in the darkness. She managed to will it away by the time Chloe turned the lights on. The punk examined the large bandage that stretched from under her left breast to the beginning of her back. Her fingers pressed along it until they found the sore spot. "Ow damn, this fucking sucks, Max." Then she shrugged with a look of indifference. "Worth it though, obvs."

"Maybe you should change that, it's looking a little...gnarly." Max said as she noticed the dirtier edges.

"Yeah, probably," Chloe admitted, heading over to a box of gauze on a stool in the corner of her room. She quirked an eyebrow as she picked up a piece of paper lying next to the box. "Holy shit, this is amazeballs." She looked at Max with shock.

"What is it?" Then Max felt a flutter of bravery. "Babe?"

_Bet that sounded awkward. Need to work on that._

"It's a letter. From DAVID." She hunched down with wild eyes when she said his name.

"Wait what!? What's it say? Read it!" She thought of all the letters she'd found of David's and knew it was his preferred way of speaking. Maybe his only way of opening up.

"Okay, Jesus. Hold on." Chloe sat on the edge of her desk.

"It's Max," The hipster chuckled. The joke was lost as she could see her blue haired wonder reading ahead. "No, out loud!"

"Sorry, sorry." Chloe said, then cleared her throat. She bit her bottom lip before continuing.

" _Chloe,_

_I know you and I have had our differences and oftentimes I come off as an ass or a control freak. But it was always because I cared about you and was, in a misguided way, trying to protect you. After you were hurt, I started to really think about our relationship. I've been so busy treating you like a soldier that I forgot to treat you like a daughter. And I almost lost the chance to ever fix that. The truth is I've been worried about Nathan and Rachel for a long time, but I never told you because I didn't think you could handle it. And that secrecy almost cost you your life. I realize there's no point in being right if it means I have to lose my family. And we are a family. I'm going to do my best to make it finally seem that way. I could never forgive myself if I lost you. I'm sorry if this letter is 'uncool' but it's the only way I know how to express myself. I'm sorry for everything and I'm so happy you're still with us._

_Love,_

_Step-Douche"_

"Wowser..." Max said, feeling different emotions bubbling around inside her. "I told you he cared, Chloe." Her love didn't say anything, instead gazing at the floor. "Chlo, you okay?" She sprung to her feet, taking Chloe's hands in her own. The punk looked up, tears falling at an impressive pace.

"He really does care about me," she said in disbelief, sobs cutting up the sentence.

"I know, I know." Max pulled the girl into a hug and let her cry on her shoulder. She could tell these tears weren't just about David, but perhaps the dam had broken and all of her emotions she had locked away were finally free.

_That was beautiful, David. Things really might be better with you two._

After a few moments of silence – not truly quiet with Chloe's sobbing – she picked her head up and ran fingers under her eyes, sighing loudly as she erased the tears.

"Things really are different now." She sobbed one final time before laughing. "Okay, okay, enough of that. Let's see how bad this sucker is." She plucked at the tape holding on the bandage, squeaking in pain when she got to the particularly stubborn bits. Finally, it dropped to the floor. She turned her head and stared at the far wall. "Give it to me straight, doc."

"It's...actually not so bad," Max said, kneeling so she could examine it closer. The skin around the wound was certainly red, but it looked as though the bullet may have mostly grazed her. She touched the scarlet skin lightly.

"Oooh Jesus-fuck that stings!" Chloe whined. "Okay, no more guns. EVER." She finally turned her head to look down at her ribs.

"No more guns. No more powers. We're going to be normal people now." Max said contentedly.

"Normal is probably a stretch, but yeah, I can get behind that." She picked up a roll of gauze. "I look fuckin' rad though, I have a battle scar." She beamed with her tongue between her teeth.

"Uh, okay, Ms. Badass," Max cocked an eyebrow at the punk. "But we should probably clean it." Her eyes went wide.

"But that'll hurt!" She pursed her lips when she saw Max's reaction. "Fuck you, I _am_ badass. Just get it over with." Max chuckled as she grabbed a bottle of peroxide from beside the bandages. "Wait, isn't that bad for you? It's gonna eat my skin!"

_Okay, you are adorable right now._

"It's not the best, but it'll do the job. It's not like I'm going to pour it into the hole. By the way, you're adorable." She tilted the bottle into a cloth.

"Yeah, yeah, fucking heavenly. Hurry up, Caulfield." Max lightly brushed the area around the wound, with Chloe hissing every so often. Max rolled her eyes, well aware of Chloe's penchant for drama. She patched it back up and applied tape around the edges.

"Fucking burns." Chloe pouted. Max's eyes were drawn to her puffed out bottom lip. She reached a hand up to cup Chloe's cheek.

"I could distract you..." Max blushed, this time without the darkness to hide her.

_Smooth operator._

Before she could try and continue being suave, Chloe crashed her lips into Max's. Their teeth clinked together awkwardly, but it didn't matter. The blue haired girl's hands were tearing through Max's hair. The small girl returned the gesture, snaking her other arm around Chloe's waist, her hand feeling the the cool skin of her back. The punk nibbled lightly on Max's bottom lip, eliciting a small moan from the girl. Chloe took the opportunity to progress her attack, sliding her tongue between the brunette's lips. It was ravenous and...

_Messy._

...but it was practically heaven.

Max eventually pulled away abruptly, gasping for breath. Her knees were shaking slightly.

"Wows..." She bit her tongue, but Chloe was already grinning wickedly.

"Just say it, Max. I know I'm totally 'wowser!'" Their fingers melded together.

"Oh go to hell, you little brat." Max was smiling too. "You actually make me weak in the knees! Look at this!" She pointed to her knees, jerking Chloe's hand along. Max was flustered and blushing hard.

"You are so cute." Chloe placed a kiss on Max's nose, then her cheek. "Let's get in bed, I'm getting crazy tired and that last pill is making me uber foggy." She led Max to the bed and pulled the covers up so they could get underneath. She unbuttoned her pants, letting them slide to the floor. Stepping out of them and stretching, she yawned with grandiose gestures. Max stared at the floor. "Oh come on, you've seen me in my underwear a million times. Would you feel better if I put on some shorts?"

"Definitely not..." Max smiled sheepishly. "I just can't believe this is happening. I couldn't be happier."

"Too bad it's all a dream and you'll wake up soon!" Chloe laughed. Max's heart felt like it had fallen through her ribcage. She looked away, a somber expression growing.

_'You're the real storm.'_

"That's...so not funny, Chloe." She broke her contact with the punk, placing one hand on her other arm. It was a nervous tick she had acquired at some point in adolescence. Chloe pawed at her hand to lock their fingers together again.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Max, this is real. I could pinch you if ya want." Her eyes searched Max's.

"You know, I think I'm good." She managed a small chuckle.

"Too late!" Chloe squealed and grabbed Max's ass.

"Hey! You dork." Max tried to fake some anger, but was failing miserably. "Sorry, I know you were only kidding."

"No, it's okay. I want you to let me know if I joke around too much. I'm trying to be..." Chloe's face seized in horror before letting out an enormous burp. "An adult!" She finished cheerily. Max laughed and shook her head, flashing equal parts adoration and disgust. "Hey, so I know we discussed the kissing thing buuut can I get a nice handful-o-that whenever I want?" She asked, pointing to Max's rear. The girl sighed.

"If you so desire, I suppose you can. Maybe not in public." She teased.

"Oh, definitely in public! All of the public!" Chloe shrieked as she tackled Max onto the bed, before gasping in pain from her injury.

"You deserved that so hard." Max snickered, casually sliding off her jeans.

"Yeah, yeah. Oh, Nurse Caulfield?" Chloe fluttered her lashes. "I do believe I'm in desperate need of healing kisses." Max inched closer to her, letting one hand rest on the punk's waist.

"Since you asked nicely..." Max said, enveloping her girlfriend in a kiss.

* * *

_Fuck. Fuck. FuckfuckfuckFUCK._

Max shrieked awake, kicking her leg free from imaginary duct tape. Breathless, she scanned her surroundings. She was in Chloe's room. The birds were singing, the sun was up. And her beautiful blue haired girl was sitting at her desk.

"Woah, Max, you okay?" She sat down on the bed next to her. "Bad dreams?" She reached to brush Max's hair out of her face. The small girl tried to control her breathing.

"Yeah, sorry. Just some...I think this might happen for a while." She buried her face in her hands. Chloe leaned down to plant a kiss on Max's head.

"Well...I actually need to tell you something too." Chloe's tone was strange and fragile. Max eyed her suspiciously. "I had a dream too. But I wasn't in it. It was of you and...Kate on the roof at Blackwell." She stopped to read Max's face. She wasn't giving much of anything, but she could tell she was holding her breath. "I know it sounds crazy and it could just be my mind filling in blanks, but..." She held Max's hand tight. "Did you...stop time? Like, forreal stop it?" Max's eyes went wide.

"How could you know that?" Her voice was low. "I never told you that." She had a pained expression.

"Max, I think I...saw your memory. Or something. It looked like a movie." She tried to read Max again, but the girl was simply looking down at her feet. "Do you think it's a side effect from going through the picture together?"

"Chloe..." Max was desperately struggling for words. "I just want to say, 'how is that possible' but that has kind of lost all meaning by this point." She felt herself beginning to cry and she wasn't sure why. She strengthened her grip on Chloe's hand. "Some of those memories are hard to even think about. My mind still hasn't fully grasped everything. I...I don't want you to see them." Max thought of all the moments when she wasn't with Chloe. Her heartbeat quickened when she thought of the Dark Room. She swallowed hard and buried her face into Chloe's shirt. "Don't want you to know." She added with a breaking voice.

"Hey, hey. Maybe it was just like a one time thing. Just like time residue or something." She placed a hand under Max's chin, lifting her head so their eyes met. "You were so, _so_ good up there though. I'm so proud of you." Max half-laughed, half-sobbed as Chloe pulled her into a tender kiss. The punk smiled. "We really are bonded for life. Nobody has ever had a relationship like this." She grinned brightly. "Has there ever been two people more made for each other?"

"You're perfect." Max said, her eyes glossy. Chloe's cheeks reddened slightly.

"Pot, meet kettle." She kissed Max again. "You're the hero. You saved me. You saved the world!"

"You're being redundant," Max quipped sweetly. Now Chloe's cheeks were dark red.

"Boy, is it hot in here?" She jokingly waved a hand at her neck.

"Just you." Max pounced on Chloe, pulling her into a passionate kiss than involved more than a little tongue.

_Okay, maybe it is a little hot in here._

"Oof, sorry," Max said, cringing. "How's your beauty mark?" She slipped a hand over Chloe's stomach, slowly inching it toward the wound. "I didn't mean to maul you."

"Eh, s'okay. I took my meds!" Chloe bared her teeth.

"Ah, so that's why you're being so lovey." Max booped her nose.

"What! No! That's not why I'm lovin' on ya. You're just..." She looked her up and down. "So damn cute." She squeezed her in a hug. They fell back on the bed, cuddling. "Y'know, you snuggled me all night. It was...the best feeling ever."

"Sorry if I kept you up or anything." Max blushed.

"Don't sweat it, kid. I loved every moment of it." She leaned in and gently bit Max's earlobe.

_That's a...new sensation. Oooh._

Max pulled away and playfully nipped at her nose.

"So..." She closed her eyes and smiled. "What do you want to do with our impossible Saturday? I never thought I'd see it." Chloe wriggled around before pulling the covers over their heads, creating a private place for just the two of them.

"I think," she said, tracing circles on Max's thigh, "we should do abso-fucking-lutely nothing!" Max giggled and eyed her lovingly. "I'm serious, Maxaroni. We deserve a day to lay around and do nothing. Let's just chill." She swept both hands outwards, the universal 'be chill' sign. "Especially if tomorrow is..."

"Rachel," Max whispered. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save her, Chloe. I'm so-" Chloe placed a finger on Max's lips. Her eyes were intense.

"You avenged her. And she helped us, somehow. I know it. It fucking sucks but we got revenge for her and I _know_ she'd be so happy with how everything worked out." She was doing her best, but Max could still see the tears holding themselves in her eyes.

The thought of Rachel always made Max's mind sprint in twenty different directions. She was thankful for her, but jealous of her. She was a stranger, but Max felt she knew her personally. Chloe loved her, but did she ever reciprocate? It was silly and petty to care about such a thing, especially given her current status.

_I wish I could have saved you too. I wish we could have met._

"I wish you could have met her," Chloe said, apparently reading her mind. "She would have fucking loved you." She cracked a smile. "I might have to fight her for you!" Max let out a quiet laugh. There was a moment of silence. "It's weird. In a perfect world, we could have all hung out. Maybe even gone on double dates with her and Frank. Wouldn't that be somethin'?" She cocked an eyebrow. Now Max laughed loudly.

"Oh dear god, I can't even fathom what that would have been like. You three going bonkers while I took pictures from the corner?" She shook her head as she said it.

"Hey, it would have been awesome. And you wouldn't be in the corner. Nobody puts Max in the corner!" She raised her fist sternly. "I'd fuck them peeps up!" At Max's laughter, she began a barrage of small kisses over the brunette's face.

"Those meds though." Max giggled.

"Oh shush, hippie. I'm just so happy. Tomorrow will be sad, but it's also the end of this whole fucked up story arc. It's the beginning of a new life. Phoenix from the ashes." It sounded like she was comforting herself more than Max, but it worked for the small girl as well.

"Alright Jean Grey!" Max cheered on quietly. Chloe smirked.

"You're the one with superpowers. But oh man, your hair all red like hers? Droooool." She was combing through Max's hair, looking impish.

"You think it'd look good?" Max asked.

"Oh hell yes. Turn ya into a little punk." She moved closer, spreading kisses through her hair.

"Hm. Maybe." She pulled back to look into Chloe's blazing, blue eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too, you sexy lil thang." She kissed her quickly. "Okay, maybe this pill does contribute a bit." Max giggled and stared at her girlfriend's lips for a moment before she blushed.

"Oh man, what are people going to say?" She clawed onto Chloe's shirt with wired eyes.

"What do you mean? That you have a hella sexy girlfriend?" Chloe teased, removing her shirt from Max's hand and replacing it with her own.

"Well, yeah, kind of. I mean, I think my parents would be cool with it. They've always been super progressive. But what about Joyce? Oh man, and David?" Her brow furrowed.

"You know," Chloe sucked some air through her teeth. "I don't really give a fuck? Like, I'm sure my mom will be fine. Probably happy about it. But if she's not, or if David has an issue with it, I just...don't care. We went through time to be together!"

"You don't understand, mom! I LOVE HER!" Max screeched dramatically. They both burst into laughter. Chloe propped herself on her elbow.

"But hey, what about Kate and her whole religious thing? Or your boyfriend Warren?" She poked Max's side.

"Oh," Max said. "I think...they'll be fine with it?" She was convinced, after all the good she saw in Kate that the girl wouldn't treat her as some chatty snake. Warren was a bit trickier. She always liked the boy and for a while even thought of him as a possible love interest. But that was before Chloe. And she knew he was head over heels for her. She rubbed her temple. "Warren might be a little tougher. Man, he doesn't remember anything. It's so confusing. Like beating the shit out of Nathan."

"Which was hella dope," Chloe chimed in.

"It was," Max admitted. "And he doesn't know that he made this whole thing possible with that photo from the party. He's going to be so letdown..." She shifted her mouth sideways, unsure. "I think I'm going to tell him."

"About us? I kind of figured."

"No. About everything. If there's anyone out there that'll believe me, it's him. I told him at the diner and he acted like it all made sense. Granted, there was a tornado, which is pretty persuasive. But I trust him. Monday, I'll tell him." She nodded, approving her own plan.

"If you think he'll believe you, go for it," Chloe said nonchalantly.

"I'm so weirdly excited to get to talk to everyone again." Max smiled. "I was friends with most of them in other timelines. You think I can do it again? With no powers?" She shifted to her side, tucking an arm under her head.

"Of course! You're Maxine Fucking Caulfield. What's not to love?" Chloe slid one arm under Max's body, pulling her closer.

"I could make a list," she joked. Chloe bopped her nose, probably a little too hard. "Ow, what the hell?"

"Nobody's talking shit on my girlfriend, especially you. You've been through enough and you don't need your own self-doubt eating away at you." She was stern, but smiling. Max nestled in closer. "You are perfect. And that's that." She said with finality. "Now then, what do you wanna do while we slug out all day?" Her feet began to rub against Max's.

"Let's just watch some movies and snuggle..." Max took in the calmness like a wave. "Mm, but no time travel moves. Not yet!" She added, pointing a finger to ceiling with a stern look.

"Works for me. We can order pizza, watch some shitty movies, cuddle the _fuck_ outta each other." Chloe traced shapes on Max's arm. The brunette blushed a bit, rearranging the last part of the sentence in her mind. "Also probably tell my mom." Chloe added quickly. Max closed her eyes and smiled, before they snapped back open.

"Wait, _**WHAT?!"**_


	4. Out In The Open

"I don't know about this, Chloe." Max was tapping her fingers rapidly on her lap.

"I honestly don't see the problem," Chloe said while shuffling through her CDs. She picked one out and studied it, nodding to herself. She cracked open the case and finally turned her gaze to Max. "Seriously, what's the deal?"

"I mean, it just seems kinda _soon_ doesn't it? I mean, in her eyes we've only been back with each other for a week. She doesn't know about all the crazy shit that connects us." She was surprisingly crazed, talking a mile a minute.

"Maxers," Chloe said, placing a hand on the small girl's shoulder. "It's still under two weeks, even with our time traveling." She turned to put the CD she picked out in her stereo, crouching as she fiddled with the buttons. Max looked on with a crooked brow.

"Okay, but still...I just don't know if it'll make any sense to her. I want..." Her voice dipped to an indiscernible volume. The music kicked in, some high energy punk noise tumbling itself into the air.

"Sorry, Mumbles, I didn't hear ya. What did you say?" Chloe slid a hand across Max's back. The brunette lazily clawed at Chloe's desk before fiddling with a piece of paper. "Hey you," Chloe's tone was one of worry. "What's going on in there?"

"I said..." Max's face grew red, her eyes streaking from side to side. "I want her to like me." Chloe burst into laughter.

"What!? Max, she loves you!" She shook her head, her eyebrow perked up.

"I mean as your girlfriend." Her skin continued to redden.

_You are such a damn dork, Max._

"Look, dude." Chloe hopped onto the desk, slinging one leg around Max. She brought both hands to the girl's temples and began affectionately scrubbing through her hair. The new view didn't do much to help Max's embarrassment, as she now sat so her eye level was perfect with Chloe's chest. "You act like we didn't grow up together. It's not like it's totally random. We were hella inseparable for years! I don't think it looks like as much of a long shot as you think." She dipped down so she could kiss Max's head.

"I...guess?" Max involuntarily shifted her head around, receiving Chloe's touch. "But what if she's not cool with it? I can just hear her calling me a harlot or something."

"Harlot?!" Chloe laughed. "You need to chill, Max. Besides, don't let the the southern drawl fool you – Joyce is pretty chill with social issues." She watched Max with playful eyes.

"I don't know, I'm just terrified she's going to be against it." Now Max was chewing her bottom lip, her eyes darting to the side to escape the view of Chloe's chest. She sighed. "Does she know how you felt about Rachel?" Chloe squinted at her.

"Is that what this is about?" She rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Max. Yes, I had a thing for Rachel. No, she never returned those feelings." Max just 'hmm'd' to herself. "Stop that, come on." She rather forcefully pulled on Max's chin so their eyes could meet. She was clearly frustrated. "Don't hold that against me." Were those tears growing in her eyes? "Please? Seriously?"

_Great job, you made her cry._

"I'm sorry. It's so not cool to talk about her like that." The guilt was easing its way into her temple. "It's just that...you know, everyone has these amazing stories about her and -"

"And remember the time Rachel and I reconnected after spending five years apart without a single word? And how we went through literal hell and back to be together because fuck the cosmic forces?" She slammed a hand down on the desk, not too hard, but enough to get her point across. "Max, I had a crush. I'm sure you've had many. But we're the ones here together. And I am so fucking in love with you." She let out something between a sigh and a growl and pointed to her watering eyes. The already small girl was shrinking by the second.

"Okay, you're right. I'm sorry." She leaned forward, pressing her face into Chloe's chest. "I love you too." She heard Chloe's voice hitch in a chuckle.

"Besides, you were my first crush anyway." She bent down, giving Max a wonderfully tiny kiss. The girl looked the punk over thoughtfully, then smiled.

"My first crush was Robbie Perkins."

"You are a goddamned brat." Chloe growled again, this time with playful energy. Then she put her hands behind her, arcing her back and sighing. "Feel any better about this?"

"Yeah, a little." Max admitted. "But still nervous. Why are you in such a rush to tell her? Since when do you tell Joyce anything?" She didn't mean for it to sound accusatory, but it might have anyway.

"Since she almost died because of _me_." It was a surprisingly candid answer. Max felt her stomach shift uncomfortably.

"Not because of you, because -"

"It doesn't matter anymore, Max. The point is: She's here. I'm here. You're here! I want to be a better person than I have been. It's not often you get a second chance...or ten." She reached behind her and opened the window, then pulled a cigarette to her lips.

"Good...point," Max huffed as Chloe exhaled the first puff of smoke. "I appreciate the new, mature Chloe. It's weird, I could actually see you changing when you decided to sacrifice yourself. The tornado was like your chrysalis." Max's heart twitched reliving that moment. The blue butterfly image would float across her mind forever.

"I'm hella mature now, Max..." She used her low, sexy tone. "But!" A big smile grew on her face. "I may have just farted." Max gasped in disgust.

"Are you _fucking_ cereal, Chloe?" The blue haired girl cackled in delight as Max removed herself from the desk chair, walking across the room and standing by the closet. She sighed. "Baby steps, I guess." Chloe smirked in response, shifting herself so she was facing the window.

_Gross, raw and rough. That's my Chloe._

Max's eyes scanned the blue dresser that sat in the corner of the room. The glass snow doe took center stage with a flurry of pictures surrounding it. All those pictures Max had found in different nooks and crannies in the other timeline. She smiled at the ones of Chloe and William. Had she dug around for them when Max was still sleeping? Then something shiny caught her eye from the trashcan. She peered into it, seeing several condoms lying on top of the dirty bandage from the night before.

Her face grew hot, fast.

_I guess she won't need them anymore._

"Hey," Chloe said, turning from her perch and dropping her cigarette in the ashtray. "Wanna watch a movie while we wait for The Maternal One to get home?"

"What? Huh?" Max whipped back from the trashcan. Chloe grinned.

"Nosy, nosy." She chided mockingly. "Figured I wouldn't need them anymore." She was being casual, mirroring Max's thoughts. "Unless you wanted to make balloon animals." Her smile grew bright. "Can you do that!? That'd be awesome."

"Sorry, no balloon animals." The brunette rolled her eyes. "And sorry about nosiness."

"Dude, we just spent an entire week solving mysteries. We're the queens of nosiness."

"That's true..." The heat in Max's face and stomach was rising. "Chloe, what..." She swallowed hard, clearly flustered. "What's sex like?"

_Er...maybe rewind just this once. Fuck. I can't do that._

Chloe recoiled awkwardly. She puffed out her cheeks, then let the air escape. Max had wandered back over to her, a hand on her other arm.

"Ehh...well..." Chloe closed one eye, her face contorted in confusion. "It's...nice? I don't know, Max. The hell kind of question is that?" Max shrugged, her small sheepish frame bending in on itself.

"Just curious... I'm not exactly a veteran at romance stuff." She chewed her lip again, which by this point was getting rather raw.

"Veteran? You both insult and compliment me. So wait, how inexperienced _are_ you?" Chloe was now cuddling up to Max, aware of how uncomfortable the girl was feeling.

"Uh, you were my first kiss." Her voice was almost nonexistent. Chloe couldn't help but smile.

"Good," she said. "You deserve someone who truly loves you to be your first everything." Then she chuckled. "Besides, I don't think my past experiences are what we should go by. Those blueprints have different parts." She slapped Max's butt, causing the brunette to squeal. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'm in no hurry, are you?"

_Define 'hurry.' You can be hard to resist._

But outwardly, Max shook her head.

"Good again! So, we should watch a movie. How about Planet of the Apes?" The blue haired girl raised a hand in the air for a high five, which Max bonked with her forehead.

"So funny." She gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek, then thought of Warren's flashdrive. "How about Scott Pilgrim? Perfect lighthearted film about winning a blue haired girl over." Chloe nodded in approval.

"That's my favorite documentary!"

* * *

The credits were rolling, but neither of them had paid attention for the last half hour or so. Max was basking in the the constant stream of kissing, her insides twisting with warmth and a coziness she'd never felt before. She kept sighing dreamily, the cushion of Chloe's bed perfectly mimicking cloud nine. The punk drifted a finger in circles on Max's arm, her gaze bursting with love.

"So how was your first big makeout session?" She spoke directly into the brunette's ear, her breath sweeping across her gently.

"Hella rad." She unleashed what may have been the biggest smile she could possibly muster. Chloe giggled at the word choice.

"I'm going to be _such_ a good bad influence on you!" She attacked, pressing kisses along Max's neck – a sensation she now knew she was in love with. Max moaned quietly. The sound of a door closing downstairs brought the couple back to the present. "Oh, mom must be home. You ready for this?" She clutched Max's hand, which returned the pressure.

"I guess so." The truth was, she wasn't, but she did find some peace in Joyce being the first to know.

_Time to do or die, Max._

The two reached the bottom of the steps to see Joyce flop on the couch, sliding off her shoes and nestling deep into the cushions.

"Hey madre," Chloe called, walking into the living room. Max followed behind her, her head retreating a bit into her neck as her shoulders hunched.

"Well hey girls," Joyce's voice was tired but kept up that maternal charm. "Crazy day at the diner. Probably the busiest it's been in a few months." She rubbed the stress out of her left foot.

"Make that bank though, right?" Chloe asked as she took a seat next to her mother. Max carefully perched on the arm of the couch.

"It was a pretty good day for tips," Joyce admitted. "Believe it or not, the best came from that Frank. That poor man basically sobbed into his beans for a half hour then left." Max and Chloe shot each other a look. Then Joyce reclined her head and closed her eyes. "What sort of trouble did you two get into today?"

"Well...actually..." Chloe began to speak. Joyce turned to her with a knowing look.

"That sounds like your guilty tone." She looked to Max, he was turning a lovely shade of red. "What? What is it?"

"Mom, I just wanted to tell you...we've all been through a lot this week, yeah?" Chloe was looking for words. Joyce nodded.

_Kinda thought you planned this out, you devil._

"But seeing Max again, you know, we hit it off like those five years never happened." This made Joyce smile. "And we've been talking and she...well, she was there with me in the hospital." Chloe tried to go along with what she knew of the week. "We kinda fell for each other." Chloe sighed that sentence. "We're dating." That one came out calm and cool. Joyce's face definitely registered shock. Max recoiled.

_HARLOT. I'M A HARLOT._

"Oh my..." Joyce said after a few moments. Chloe turned to face Max and wriggled their fingers together. The punk's grin threatened to split her head in half. Joyce's shock morphed into a quiet, thoughtful look before she smiled too. "Now that," she said, pointing to Chloe's face, "is a smile I haven't seen in a very, _very_ long time." She noticed Max was shielding herself with her hands. "Max, are you hiding from me? Come on, sweetie." The girl peeked out and smiled nervously.

"She totally thought you'd kill her or something," Chloe said nonchalantly. This pried a laugh from Joyce.

"I won't say it's not surprising, but in a way, it does make complete sense." She reached over Chloe to grasp Max's hand. "Hell, I'm not one for art but I would think this qualifies as symmetry. You show up just as Chloe needs you the most." Now Max was crying happy tears.

"We wanted you to be the first to know," Max said, her voice bubbly with emotion.

"I'm honored." She squeezed Max's hand, then let it go. The brunette sighed loudly, letting out all of the stale breath she'd been holding. "It really just makes more and more sense the more I think about it," Joyce pondered aloud. Chloe wrapped her mom in a hug, then snickered briefly.

"And for Max's benefit, do you mind that we're both gals?" She shot a snarky glance at the hipster.

"What!? Well, I didn't know about all that!" Joyce started off strong, but began laughing halfway through the sentence. "Chloe, I don't care who you're with as long as you're truly happy." She nodded to Max. "It's just a surprise benefit that that person is like my second daughter."

"You are...so...cool..." Max said in awe, the tears still rolling.

_You know, eventually, I'll be able to hold a conversation without crying._

"Back atcha," Joyce fired.

"Alright, alright," Chloe flung her hands about wildly. "Did you two dip into my meds?" Max whacked Chloe on the head, lightly, but enough to sting.

"Oh I think I'm going to enjoy this," Joyce smiled, letting her head rest on the cushion again.

* * *

They sat in the truck outside of Blackwell, lost in each others' eyes.

"Babe."

"Cutie."

"Bab _ **y**_."

"Sugar."

"Sexypants McOrgasmmaker!"

"Chloe!"

"Mmn, that one has a lot of mileage." Chloe laughed in her unhinged way. Max shook her head, snuggling up to the punk. She squinted her eyes at Blackwell.

"So weird to walk back in there." She rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"I don't even know why we rushed to get you back before curfew, you've been giving me gaga eyes for forty-five minutes. You're totally late now." Chloe's voice was flat and playful.

"Are you serious?" Max jumped in her seat, pulling her phone out of her pocket to see the time. "Dammit. And you knew!" Chloe slid her tongue along Max's ear, causing the girl to shut up.

"I knew." She snickered. "Sorry, sorry. I just don't want to let you out of my sight!" She was joking, but Max could hear the sincerity. She squeezed the brunette. "Okay, okay. You get in there and get some sleep. I'll pick you up in the morning for Rachel's service, alright?" She stroked Max's hair.

"Alright," Max said, half-whining. "Text me when you get home."

"Will do." Chloe kissed her nose, then her lips. "Love you."

"Love you too..." Max's toothy grin broke through. "Baby." She miraculously got out of the truck, despite her desire tethering her to the blue haired girl. Chloe kissed her own palm, then tipped her hand at the window and blew. Max began to return the gesture, but the punk was already starting the car and cranking the music up. She pulled away and Max watched her go, feeling a beautiful sadness she was ecstatic to experience.

_Alright, alright, Bill. Parting_ _**is** _ _such sweet sorrow._

Max's head was too full of happiness to consider being stealthy at all. She hummed to herself, her feet briskly carrying her to her dorm. She froze when she saw a figure walking near the door with a flashlight. She briefly considered hiding when the light blinded her.

"Hey! What are...oh, Max." She recognized David's voice and immediately became less tense.

_Never thought his voice would be comforting. Though the flashlight thing is...shiver._

"Sorry! I lost track of time. Chloe, Joyce and I were watching a movie and -" David held his hand up, cutting her off.

"Max, it's okay. Try not to make a habit out of it but I'm not going to go crazy on you just because you're late." He shifted his feet. "I'm so lucky you were there for Chloe when she..." He sighed. "I'm just happy you were there to call for me. And thank you for being with her in the hospital." He shuffled to the door and opened it for her.

"Thanks so much, David," she said as she ducked inside. He simply nodded, then walked away. She wondered how he would react to the news of her and Chloe. He didn't exactly seem like the kind of guy who had he most open of minds, but he had surprised her before. On more than one occasion.

She walked down the hall of her dorms, the silence leaking under her skin. The Nightmare flooded her mind. She breathed slowly and evenly, trying to stave off the anxiety she felt brewing. She wasn't pleased with the thought that she might actually have a bit of PTSD on her hands.

_Post-Traumatic Stress of events that never officially happened. That's a new one. Can't go to a doctor for that._

She reached her door and searched for her keys. A quiet noise reached Max's ears, and she stopped to study it. It took her a second to realize it was a violin, playing low and steady. She turned and eyed Kate's door, a smile blooming on her face. She considered knocking, but decided not to. It was late and Kate was probably in the zone.

_I'm so happy to hear you play again._

Finally returning to her task, she opened the door. Before stepping into her room, she spotted the plaque next to the door. It was a drawing of her and Kate in Kate's style. They were drinking tea. Max felt her eyes wash over, but willed the tears away.

_No more fucking crying. At least for tonight. Tomorrow...will be a different story._

She stepped into her room, slipping out of her hoodie and stripping down to her underwear. She immediately climbed into bed, pulling blankets up to her chin.

_Turns out makeouts are tiring._

She scanned her room slowly, reveling in the fact that it was so damn normal. She saw her journal sitting on her desk.

_Oh hey, buddy. I'll start writing in you again soon. Promise._

She closed her eyes, sinking into the happiness. Then her phone buzzed.

**Chloe:** ey hippie, im home.

**Chloe:** u there sexy?

Max smiled to herself and began to text back. Sleep could wait a _l_ _ittle_ longer, right? Eventually, after a long back and forth, Max drifted to sleep, her phone in her hand and a smile on her face.

That night, she didn't have any nightmares.


	5. Rachel Amber 4 Ever

Max held up the small black dress in the mirror, her lips scrunched to the side in uncertainty.

_Well...it's not exactly funeral garb, but it's the only dress I own._

She huffed in surrender before finally putting it on. Throughout the morning she had heard a muffled commotion, knowing many of her classmates were getting ready for Rachel's service. She still hadn't actually seen most of them, just passing Stella when she took her shower earlier. Max wanted so badly to strike up conversation, but the girl was clearly in a somber mood. In fact, it was as if a black tarp had been draped over the building. People were bustling about getting ready, but it all felt tinny and soaked in a robotic sadness. She looked through the window, passed the invisible tarp, and smiled at the sunshine.

_At least the weather is nice. You deserve that much, Rachel._

She slowly wandered to her desk and eyed her journal. It sat open, new words carved into the pages with some small doodles here and there. She nodded to herself, content to slip back into the habit.

_Who would have thought this journal would save my life?_

From her bed, her phone chirped its alert. She moved quickly, anxious to see the text.

**Chloe:** almost there, you about ready?

Max typed back, feeling a knot grow in her stomach. She was immensely worried about Chloe and her impending reactions to everything. Chloe was right, of course, when she said today would be the end of that sad story and the beginning of a new one. But that didn't mean it would go without a fight. She knew that Chloe would be in a lot of pain. And her pain was now Max's pain. She would certainly cry, and Chloe would too, and that just made it worse for both of them.

_Crying is kind of like yawning...or throwing up. It's contagious._

**Max:** Yeah. I'll head out now.

**Max:** Hey. I love you.

She collected her things and left her room. The hall was now deadly silent. She guessed most people were already on their way or making last second preparations. The service was to be held at the only funeral parlor in town. The owners were initially stressed at the expected number of attendees, but figured out how to squeeze everyone in without completely obliterating the fire code. Max couldn't help but smile to herself.

_You're like a rockstar, Rachel._

Her phone beeped again as she walked into the sun.

**Chloe:** love you too

**Chloe:** a disgusting amount tbh

Max snickered at the text, shaking her head. She walked along the path that crossed through the lawn, slowly taking in her surroundings. It was dark when she had gotten home the night before, but now in the daylight, she scanned every detail. She looked at the window that was no longer broken.

_Did Alyssa get hit with the football? Or did the whole Nathan thing shift everything around? What did and didn't happen?_

She thought of it as a slide puzzle, the different pieces shifting around into chaotic new positions. Then she saw a white splotch of paint on the nearby tree, where the Rachel Amber graffiti used to be.

_I guess painting the tree is one way to get rid of it. Thanks, Samuel._

She suddenly felt a chill dance down her spine. For whatever reason, she slowly turned, her eyes traveling up the length of The Tobanga. It sat perched on the hill, overseeing everything in the courtyard. The wild, carved eyes seemed to be staring at her. But there was something off about the angle, like they were slightly pointed downward. Like they were focusing on her hand. Her hand abruptly flickered, a small tingle whipping out from the second knuckle in each of her fingers. With time sliding between her fingers, she lowered her hand, the spark of rewind diminishing. Her reaction was instinctual, and something about that made her worry.

_Chill, Max. The Tobanga is **not** staring at you. It's a fucking totem pole. No more powers._

The uneasy feeling budding in her throat, she tore her gaze away and swiftly walked to the parking lot. Upon seeing Chloe's truck, The Tobanga anxiety dissolved immediately before being usurped by a stronger, Rachel anxiety. She hurried to the truck, smiling to herself when she noticed how well Chloe had parked.

_Aw, she really is growing up._

"Hey Chlo," Max said as she entered the truck. The punk, who looked sufficiently less punk at that moment, stared back with a warm but tight smile. She was wearing a dress coat over a black tank top with black dress pants. She still had her boots, though, and that made Max smile for a moment. She wore a barrette in her bright blue hair, a futile attempt at conducting some sort of organization.

"Hey you," she whispered. Her eyes were already red and puffy. Max felt the knot in her stomach draw tighter. She leaned over to give her a kiss.

"How you doing?" She thought it was a stupid question, but one that needed to be asked. Chloe shrugged indifferently.

"Okay, I guess. My battle wound aches a little." Her voice came in like waves, receding into choked silence after every word, as if any syllable might make her crack. Max held her hand, pulling it to her lips.

"We can do this. I'm with you." She let her lips linger on the girl's hand.

"We can do this," Chloe repeated several times, clearly trying to convince herself. Some tears had made their escape and were crawling down her cheeks. Frustratedly, she wiped at her tears, then gave a small smile. "Your dress is cute, babe." Max blushed, somewhat ashamed of the circumstances.

"Thanks. You look nice too, Chlo." She ran her thumb over the back of Chloe's hand, staring intently at the girl. The punk frowned before leaking out a small chuckle.

"Nah, this shit is hella lame. You've seen Rachel's clothes, Max. She would want this place to look like a fucking Nirvana show." She rubbed away a few more tears before grabbing a small pile of CDs from the console. She shuffled through them, Max's fingers dangling on one of her hands, before deciding on one and putting it in the player. She turned to face Max, a small smile on her face. "I just came up with an awesome idea..."

"Really?" Max asked, smiling at the intensity in Chloe's eyes. "What is it!?" The punk pointed to the stereo as the guitar for Smells Like Teen Spirit kicked in.

"Ugh...nevermind..." She sighed dramatically before cracking a wide grin.

"Did you just...make a Nirvana pun?" Max shook her head in disgust, secretly beaming inside.

_That's it, Chloe. I need you to smile. We can get through this._

"Nirvana pun? That would be **crazy**. They'd probably prescribe me some lithium..." Her smile grew with every word.

"Chloe, you are such a dork." Max decided to go along with the fake annoyance thing, all the while clutching her girlfriend's hand for dear life.

"All apologies, Max." Her eyes grew wide in feigned shock. "Sorry!" She threw her hands up in defense. " _My_ apologies, I meant." The two girls chuckled to themselves as they pulled out of the parking lot. "I'll stop, I'll stop." She teased, flitting her fingers through the girl's hair with one hand while the other stayed on the wheel. Max huffed playfully. Chloe's hand drifted from the brunette's cheek back down to the seat, tangling itself with Max's again.

They drove for a while without speaking, letting Cobain's tattered voice fill the cab of the truck. Their fingers moved against each other, relishing the sensation of each others' skin. At a red light, Chloe leaned over to Max and gave her thoughtful, long kiss. Long enough, in fact, that the light had turned green and the person behind them began beeping. Instead of accelerating, Chloe quickly leaned through the driver's side window and shouted to the person behind them.

"Sorry, man! I got distracted because there is romance IN BLOOM!" She pulled herself back through the window as the driver beeped at them again, cackling to herself as she hit the gas.

"You are a damn trainwreck, girl," Max laughed. Chloe glanced at her, a sly smile on her face.

"You fucking love it."

* * *

The parking lot was full, with some cars taking residence in the adjacent building's parking space. They had been parked for several minutes but Chloe's hands remained on tightly on the wheel, her knuckles sparking with white. It was a necessary quiet, Max felt, and she let it remain as she had one hand rubbing along the punk's leg. Finally Chloe sighed long and slow.

"Guess it's time to get in there," she said, her voice weak. Max nodded. It killed her to remove her touch from Chloe as they got out of the truck, immediately suctioning back up to her and snaking their fingers together. Chloe gave her a single tight squeeze and a weak smile. She was swinging like a pendulum between silliness and horrible sadness. Max thought it was probably a coping mechanism fighting like hell to try and protect the blue haired girl.

Deep in Max's head, she was actually sort of worried she would feel jealous today. It was a complete separation of consciousness. Her logical mind was sad about Rachel and everything that had happened, but she worried that her heart would pump in little embers of illogical greed, making her angry when she saw how upset Chloe was about Rachel. Luckily, this feeling never manifested. More than anything, she felt the need to be there for her love and to comfort her. She sighed inside.

_At least I know I'm not a completely shitty person._

A small flicker of the "Other Max" spread through her mind, just a small, cocky smile as if suggesting 'you sure about that?'

_No. None of that right now._

Inside, they immediately found Joyce sitting with David and hurried to them. Joyce moved her pocketbook that was sitting on the chair next to her, a sign that she was saving the seat and the one next to it for the couple. She was clearly in a somber state, but a small smile grew on her face as she saw the two holding hands. David noticed too, his eyes settling on them before looking forward again.

_Well that wasn't much to go on. What're you thinking, David?_

"It's going to start soon, I think," Joyce said as they took their seats. Max glanced around the room and found her classmates, happy to see them alive and well. Dana was sitting with Trevor on one side and Juliet on the other.

_Oh, I'm so glad they're together in this timeline too._

She spotted others as well. Alyssa, Stella, Brooke, Kate and Warren all sat together. Justin sat next to Trevor, his eyes red enough for Max to see across the room. She assumed he was either high or crying. Or a mixture of both. She thought of Chloe's Nirvana comment. Rachel would probably appreciate getting baked before her service.

She found Victoria, Taylor and Courtney in their own section of the room. Feeling slightly petty, she wondered how hard it would be to become Victoria's friend in this timeline. Or if she even wanted that.

_She can be...a huge bitch. But deep down she's a good person. I mean, really deep down, but still..._

Her eyes wandered from Victoria to Kate and back again. Kate was clutching tissues between her interlocked hands, evidently praying for Rachel.

_God, this is so fucked up. Kate is watching what she knows could have happened to her. And Victoria has no idea she ended up just like Rachel. But now they're both safe and that's what's important._

"Damn, this is a hell of a turnout." Chloe whispered in her ear. She had a small smile on her face.

"Rachel meant a lot to people," Max said. The punk's smile grew bigger.

"She'd totally love this, she was such a _slut_ for attention." She emphasized 'slut' in a silly way. Max wanted to dig in her claws and hold on to this happier Chloe for as long as she could.

"Oh, like you wouldn't love it too," she snaked their arms together. Chloe tapped her chin in thought.

"Pfft, dude, I'd probably have like ten people at my funeral." Her tone remained upbeat despite the subject matter. Max tried to hide her frown.

_Let's never find out._

"Let's never find out," Max voiced her thoughts. Chloe snickered before growing contemplative.

"Do you think, like...Rachel can see this? Like she's out there? It's not like I'm a spiritual person but...it's also not like I believed in time travel before this week." She furrowed her brow in thought. Max glanced at Joyce, nervous their conversation was too loud, but she was busy speaking to David. Max thought for just a second.

"Absolutely," she said. She envisioned the doe at the junkyard and in her storm premonition. It was even there in her nightmare, guiding her to Chloe. "I don't know what I really _believe_ anymore, Chloe, but I know Rachel helped us. She was there looking out for both of us." She smiled at that thought and Chloe returned the favor.

"I know," she said quietly. She blew air through her mouth, mimicking the neigh of a horse. Max saw in an instant how her eyes glassed over with tears. She strengthened her grip on her hand. "I miss her so much, Max. She didn't deserve this." Her voice shattered halfway through the sentence and a loud sob escaped. It drew some nearby attention, but most people were lost in their own sad thoughts.

"Oh, hon," Joyce turned to Chloe, wrapping an arm around her. The punk was shrinking into herself, her hand a vice on Max's, turning both of their knuckles white. Chloe's free hand shaded her eyes from the others, a gesture of personal comfort since it was clear to everyone she was shaking with tears.

"Chloe?" A soft voice came from the aisle beside Max. The two of them turned their head in unison to see a woman and a man. Max knew immediately that it must be Rachel's parents, their features clearly evident on the pictures of her she had seen. Chloe shot up, rubbing her eyes.

"Mr. and Mrs. Amber, hi," she said, awkwardly climbing over the brunette so she could hug the woman. "How are you guys holding up?" She sniffled after every second word.

"It's a process..." The man said, nodding his head sullenly. The woman clutched his arm, as if she was putting all her weight on him.

"How...no, how are you, Chloe?" Mrs. Amber asked. "We heard what happened...are you okay?" She looked so genuinely concerned.

"Oh, this old thing?" Chloe tried to joke as she lifted her jacket, exposing the bandage. "It's okay. I'm okay." The words came out like cinder blocks.

"We're so glad you're okay. I'm sorry we didn't visit you in the hospital, we were going to but...everything kind of spiraled out of control." That was Mr. Amber. He stood tall, dressed neatly in black. He was balding but Max thought it suited him nicely. He wore glasses and was slightly pudgy, but Rachel most definitely had his eyes. Mrs. Amber was very beautiful in a 'lawyer-y' kind of way. She too, wore glasses, but they were thick rimmed and very in style. She had a streak of gray through her dark brown hair, the sort of thing Max had always been silently jealous of.

"It's totally fine, Mr. Amber." Chloe glanced around as if she could find the words she wanted right there in the room with her. "I'm so sorry about Rachel. I'm just...so sorry..." She bowed her head, continuing to cry silently.

"Chloe, if it wasn't for you...we wouldn't have found her. You never gave up on her and she would be so proud of you for that. In the end, even though it took an ugly price, you got justice for her." Mrs. Amber was hugging Chloe closely. "I'm just sorry you had to be hurt in the process..." She sighed quietly as she wiped her eyes. "We will live on and honor her memory." Mr. Amber just nodded again.

Max was content to watch the three interact and catch up. It was something she felt Chloe needed. But the punk surprised her but grabbing her hand and issuing a slight tug, the cue for her to stand up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Amber, this is Max Caulfield." Despite the constant tears, she grinned brightly. The two looked her over then at each other before smiling.

"So you're _the_ Max Caulfield, huh?" Mrs. Amber said. "Chloe has told us so much about you." Max blushed deeply as Mr. Amber shook her hand.

_They know about...me?_

"She was there when Nathan..." Chloe wobbled her head left and right, insinuating a 'you know...' Mrs. Amber's eyes expression darkened at the name.

"That's going to be a long, long battle..." Mr. Amber sighed. "But we won't give up. We'll fight the Prescotts and Mark Jefferson until they're behind bars for good. Until justice is served." He tilted his head to the right, working out some of the stress. "Well, Chloe, we should probably go talk to some other people." He lifted his glasses and dabbed at his right eye with his sleeve. He turned to Max. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Max. We'd love to chat sometime."

"Of course, Mr. Amber. I'm so sorry about Rachel," she repeated the lines she was sure they'd heard hundreds of times in the past few days. Mrs. Amber gave Chloe a big hug and even gave Max one too before quickly checking in with Joyce and David.

"They seem to be handling things pretty well," Max concluded as they sat back down.

"Yeah, they've always been really...not spiritual, but super zen about stuff. I know they're probably dying inside, but it's definitely in character for them to be reserved and almost peaceful about it." Chloe reclined a bit, rubbing her temples as she spoke. "The last time I talked to them, I screamed that they didn't give a shit about Rachel..."

"Ouch." Max winced.

"You know how I am...just super emotional, flying off the handle about anything and everything. God, I was such an asshole..." Her lip quivered again, a sign of new tears to come. Max nestled into her side.

"You're a pissed off teenager, Chloe. It happens." She squeezed her arm lightly.

"Not anymore. I mean, attitude is kind of my thing, but I'm going to try and not be...like _that_." She looked to Max and shrugged, as if she wasn't really sure what 'that' meant. "The Ambers are great people. I shouldn't have acted that way. It's cool that they're doing this whole Pharaoh thing," Chloe said, gesturing to a reinforced box by the casket.

Joyce had told the two of them that the Ambers were going to have a box that friends and family could put possessions in and between the service and the burial, they would put it in the casket with Rachel. It definitely lined up with Chloe's 'not spiritual but zen' line. Max thought it was a beautiful gesture, that they must know how much she meant to so many people and how they'd love to give a part of themselves to Rachel forever. She wished she had something of her own to add to the box, but anything that felt appropriate – mostly photographs – no longer existed in this timeline. She knew Chloe had something, but the girl didn't say what, and she hadn't asked.

Eventually, a balding, older man with glasses came out to begin a speech. Max thought the beginning felt so rehearsed and copy + paste, but somehow it still felt beautiful and unique. Chloe, along with most of the room, began to cry. The punk tightened her grip on Max's hand, but this time it wasn't as painful. It was one violent sob from Chloe in particular that finally lanced Max's head, and she too began to cry.

The service continued on with the man speaking more personally about Rachel, listing her academic achievements – a moment that made Max finally aware that the school staff was also in attendance and mourning – and her extra curricular activities. He mostly glanced over the negatives, only saying that the circumstances of her death were especially tragic and unjust. It was probably good to focus more on the positives than the horrible cause, but Max could only think of the "prestigious" Prescotts and the psychopath that was Mark Jefferson. They stood in the corners of her mind; tall, ghoulish shadows with wicked smiles. She mentally flipped through everything: Nathan in the bathroom, Nathan and Warren, Jefferson and Kate, The Dark Room, the binders, Rachel's body in the junkyard, the needle in Max's neck, the bullet in Chloe's head, Victoria on the Dark Room floor, the endless clicking of Jefferson's camera as he violated her with the art form she loved so much.

She began to feel dizzy remembering everything that never technically happened.

_Rachel Amber 4 Ever_

…

_Rachel **IS** here_

…

She was suddenly drowning in her thoughts, the noise of the preacher far away and indiscernible. Her vision, already cloudy from her tears, became fragmented and tunneled. It was a new, powerful kind of anxiety she had never felt before. The lasting trauma of everything she had gone through. The image of the tornado slid across her mind, the whisper of its winds stinging like the needle she once felt. Suddenly, and oh so briefly, an image of a doe glanced through her head. Just a quick frame of the doe she had seen before. And just as quickly as it came, the anxiety was gone.

She began to focus again, her sight and hearing accelerating back to their usual levels of usefulness. She wiped at her eyes and sniffled. Then sniffled again. And again. She then felt something hit her hand, something wet but warm. Assuming the panic attack had made her cry harder, she moved to wipe her hand with the tissue she was holding. But the 'tear' that fell left a crimson stain.

_What the fuck? No..._

Slowly, she reached below her nose and touch her lips, feeling a thick liquid pooling in their crook. Pulling her hand away, she saw her fingertips covered in blood. She let out a feint squeak before cramming the tissues under her nose.

_Why is my nose bleeding? I didn't fucking DO anything!_

She was glad, in a morbid way, that so many people were holding tissues to their face at that exact moment. Finally, she realized Chloe was staring at her, a look of horror on her face.

"Are you okay?" She whispered. Max only nodded, prompting an unbelieving look from the punk.

"Tell you after," Max whispered back. In response, Chloe grabbed her hand and squeezed.

The man had finally wound down his speech and offered that anyone wanting to have a moment with the casket or put something in the box would now be able to. A line began to form, filling with people Max recognized and strangers alike. She and Chloe stood up and shuffled out into the line, followed by Joyce and David.

* * *

Max let out a long, cool sigh as she stood in front of Rachel's casket. She shifted nervously, glancing at Chloe who only nodded. She took a deep breath, then began an internal monologue.

_Hi, Rachel..._

_I know we never met but...I feel so close to you. I feel like we've been through so much together. I wanted to thank you so much for being there for Chloe when I wasn't. I could never explain enough how much that means to me. I know you were there, that you helped us all through the week that never happened. I don't know if I believe in angels or...heaven...or whatever, but I know you were there._

Max allowed herself a big smile and loosened her posture, becoming more casual.

_Do you like deer? I really do too. I have a ton of clothing with doe on them. I just think they're really graceful and cute, you know? Chloe probably thinks those clothes are nerdy or whatever, but I think you'd appreciate them. And I love your style, too! I don't know if you saw but I actually wore some of your stuff. I didn't look half as beautiful as you, but...that's okay._

Max was silently crying as she continued.

_I'm just...so fucking sorry I couldn't save you. I had the power to rewind time and I couldn't even use it right! Maybe now, wherever you are, you have a better understanding about this stuff...but I'm still so damn clueless._

She looked to the line behind her, somewhat nervous she was taking too long, but received no sign that this was the case. She briefly eyed Chloe, the girl looking off into the room. She turned back to the casket.

_I'm going to take care of her, Rachel. I won't let anything bad happen to her. I don't want to use my powers again but...if I have to, for her...I will. Chloe said that you would have loved me. I really hope that's true...I wish I could have found out. I'm sorry again that I couldn't help but...thank **you** for helping me. Even just now with that anxiety attack, I think you calmed me down. I truly believe that. Okay, okay, Chloe is looking a little antsy, I'll let her talk to you. Thanks again for everything, Rachel. Rest easy._

* * *

Chloe stepped up to the casket, the closeness breaking her heart all over again. She felt her knees get weak, the weight of reality crushing down on her. She huffed in exasperation.

_Rachel. Hey._

_So, this is pretty fucked up, huh? What the hell happened to everything? Fucking Prescotts and Jefferson and...ugh. FUCK. I'm just so fucking angry about all of it! I'm trying to be cool, but it's so hard. You know how I get. I blame everyone. I'm even mad at **you** a little. Which is fucked. And yeah, yeah, I'm sorry but you already know that. You know me so well. I just wish you had told me what was going on...I mean, I know that's fucking hindsight and everything. I know I would have overreacted and been a massive bitch. So I guess in a way I don't blame you, but that just makes me feel worse...like it's my fault._

_Life is so fucking...goddamn insane. Who could have seen this all happen? I know you're probably waving your hand around like a snarky asshole and saying "I did!" You smartass._

Chloe shook her head sadly.

_We were going to escape Arcadia Bay. Take over the world, make it our bitch...you know. But now we can't. Because **you** got stupid. I'm sorry I'm bitter, but this could have been so different. You kept so many secrets from me...Everyone here has their own vibrant, fairy-tale stories about you, but I was your  **fucking best friend**! And now I'm standing here not sure if I ever even knew you..._

"Fuck!" Chloe blurted out, creating a brief hush in the room. She clutched her stomach and sobbed.

_I didn't mean that, I'm sorry. Sorry. It's just...I loved you. I crushed on you hard. You had to have known. Couldn't you have at least told me about Frank? I know that I would have freaked but didn't I fucking deserve **that** at the very fucking least!? Dammit, Rachel, you should have given me SOMETHING!_

She chaotically ran her hands through her hair, flicking her barrette onto the floor. She pressed her palm into her head hard.

_Rach, I just lived an entire fucking week that only one other person remembers! I fucking DIED. SEVERAL TIMES. I'm trying so fucking hard to be cool, to be strong, but I just watched a fucking cosmic tornado gunning down the Bay and it was fucking SCREAMING "Chloe Price must die!" How am I supposed to feel?! I worry that at any second a goddamned satellite is going to fall out of the sky and crush me. I can't tell **her** this. She's already going through so much. I just..._

Between her sobbing, Max nestled up behind her, linking their arms together. She rested her head on the punk's shoulder.

"It's okay, Chlo..."

Chloe looked at the small brunette and smiled, nuzzling her. She turned back to Rachel.

_Sorry, Rachel. I wanted this to be so much more...peaceful. But I got up here and my mind just started going fucking crazy. I know Max talked to you before me...what do you think? Amazing right? Jesus, I wish you could have finally met her. I know I used to annoy you with how much I talked about her. But she's back and we're...together. I love her so, so much. It's crazy. She helped me find you._

Max gave Chloe a gentle squeeze before moving to the side, giving her and Rachel more room. The punk grinned.

_I can just picture you right now, you know? Listening to me freak with an understanding smile on your face, just staring...I know what you're thinking. No, I'm not going to fuck things up with Max. Promise. Also, I now have a wicked battle scar from a bullet. Hella hardcore, right?_

She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, wanting nothing more in that moment than a cigarette.

_Shit, shit. I should probably move along so the rest of your posse can chat with ya. I'll come visit you in the graveyard sometime, we'll talk...I won't be such a dick. That's another Price Promise...T-M. Oh shit, I brought you something...it's totally like your parents to do this crazy Egyptian shit._

Chloe moved toward the box, placing a small item into it. She briefly looked at the rest of its contents before moving back to the casket, slightly embarrassed at her nosiness.

_I think you'll like it. We'll talk again soon, okay? Thanks for...thanks for letting me get my rage on. Like always._

She placed a hand on the casket, letting it linger for only a moment.

_Love you._


	6. The Rabbit And The Dog

Rachel's service concluded peacefully. Some lingered in the parlor to discuss everything while others seemed to leave immediately. Max and Chloe sat on the opened bed of her truck, the latter puffing on a cigarette. Max wasn't especially fond of the smoke smell, but in the past week she had grown to equate it with Chloe, so in a way she found it comforting. It was quiet, both pairs of eyes still red from the crying.

"Well, I'm fucking exhausted." Chloe said as she exhaled a plume of smoke. Max watched it twist in the air.

"My eyes feel like they've been repeatedly punched by Ryu," Max remarked, her voice far away.

"Yeah, and for a bit you looked like you took a Shoryuken to the fuckin' face. What happened in there?" Chloe brought her knee up, resting her arm on it. She was clearly worried.

"I don't know...I just started thinking about everything and I started to have an anxiety attack. But it was just different, I don't know. I didn't tell you about the nightmare I had, did I?" She too brought both knees up and rested her cheek on them, wrapping her arms underneath her legs. Chloe shook her head, the cigarette dangling from her lips. Max closed her eyes tight. "It was like...real. It was so unlike any dream I've ever had. It was when I passed out on the way to the lighthouse."

"Go on," Chloe insisted, wrapping one arm around the brunette's waist.

"That whole time I was out, it was like I was present somewhere else. It was this fucked up...broken reality. Like I broke time. It was some serious Jacob's Ladder shit. I don't really know how to explain what I went through but...it fucked me up." She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, I really don't know how to describe it, but the point is I started to get that feeling again. Just this choking, in Death's crosshairs kind of feel." She shivered and leaned into Chloe.

"That just...makes me more confused, Max. You think just thinking about whacky time shit made your nose bleed?" Chloe took a long drag, the ember bursting with red.

"Maybe? I honestly don't know, Chloe. I stopped trying to understand anything last Monday. But it's like everything is made of glass." Max held her hand up as if on a wall. "And it could just shatter into a million pieces at any moment..." Her voice trailed off as her hand moved in circular pattern. She turned to Chloe. "I think time might be like that, or the universe or whatever. It's this fragile, beautiful thing that can break into infinite pieces of these like disjointed moments." She shrugged, working up a small smile. "Maybe, anyway."

"Yikes, okay let's calm it down, Nietzsche." Chloe giggled as she rubbed Max's back. The brunette scowled.

"You asked," she said.

"Sorry, sorry," the punk frowned. "It's just hard not to deflect with humor. It's one thing to uh..." She thought for a moment. "Postulate? About shit like this, but when you've been through what we've been through it's all a little too...real, yanno? I shouldn't be so snarky all the time. I could work on that?" She phrased it like a question, as if willing to do anything Max wanted. The small girl shrugged.

"No, it's okay. I know it sounds crazy anyways. Besides," Max smiled, nudging Chloe. "You being a smartass is one of the reasons I love you."

"You know, every time you say that out loud, in my head it's like 'WOAH STOP EVERYTHING DID YOU HEAR THAT?!'" She grinned, letting the last of the smoke leak out through her teeth. She raised an eyebrow as she flicked her cigarette away. "What are the _other_ reasons!?"

"You're such a dork. You want that in research paper form?" Max slid a finger along Chloe's cheek before booping her nose.

"Yes, yes." The punk used a mischievous tone, wringing her hands together. "And you must cite your sources!"

"Ah, well one of the reasons is that I _love_ kissing you. I guess I should do some research?" Max responded slyly.

_I'm getting better at this flirting thing. Maybe?_

She kissed the blue haired girl, letting the confusingly gross yet enticing taste of ash fill her mouth. It had only been two days, but they were falling into a wonderful chemistry when it came to kissing. Max almost always brought a hand to Chloe's cheek, and the punk often snaked an arm around the girl's waist. It was a routine Max was excited to settle in to.

"Oh, Max! Uh, sorry, I was-" A small, stumbling voice interrupted the kiss. Max opened her eyes to find Kate standing in front of them, a light shade of red blooming in her cheeks. Max yelped and pulled away from Chloe, straightening herself out. Her own face grew dark red. Chloe looked between the two, amused.

"Kate! Hi! Hey. Uh..." Max looked around, wide-eyed. "Soooo..." She let the word trail on for a while. "You know Chloe, right?" She gestured to the punk, her cheeks feeling very hot.

"Sup?" Chloe offered casually. Kate shyly waved back, a look of innocent fear in her eye.

_Okay, NOT how I was going to tell Kate. Shit...Ah, what the hell._

"Chloe and I..." Max began, her hands whirling in circles around each other. "We're..." She could see Chloe's giant grin from the corner of her eye.

_Oh she is fucking loving this awkwardness._

"Practicing CPR? That's a good skill to know..." Kate offered with a smirk. "You never know when someone's going to drown in a truck bed!" She put a hand to her mouth and giggled, clearly proud of herself. Max immediately relaxed.

"We're dating." She said calmly.

"Only took ten minutes to get it out of ya, Maximus," Chloe laughed, tapping the invisible watch on her wrist. Max stuck her tongue out at Chloe. "Woah, not in front of Kate, dear." The punk held her hands up defensively before looking at Kate. "I swear, this one will _not_ tone it down," she said, pointing at Max. The two other girls blushed simultaneously.

"You're awful," the brunette chided. Kate eyed the couple and smiled.

"I won't say I'm not surprised," she admitted. "But you two are pretty cute together. There's a good...contrast!" Her face flickered with darkness for a moment. She turned to Chloe. "How are you feeling? I was so scared when I heard Nathan shot somebody!" She held her hands on her chest, over her heart.

"I'm a tough motha fucka, Kate." Chloe stretched out in the truck, a smirk on her face.

"Oh please, she has been _such_ baby about it!" Max rolled her eyes, waving a dismissive hand. The punk pouted.

"She was shot!" Kate yelped. "I'd be a baby too! I hope you've been taking care of her!" She waggled a finger at Max. Chloe burst into laughter.

"Ha ha, Maxaroni!" Chloe sprung off the truck and ducked behind Kate, peeking over her shoulder. "Kate's on my side and you can't have her back!" She blew a raspberry at Max. The brunette noticed Kate cringe a bit at what she assumed was the cigarette smell.

"I'm sorry about Rachel," Kate said to Chloe. "I know you were close. I always saw you putting up those posters." She preemptively wiped her eyes. "It's so scary...that could have been-"

"How are _you_ feeling, Kate?" Max cut her off before she could finish the thought, exchanging a look with Chloe.

"I'm better." Her voice was tiny. "It's hard but...everyone has been so kind to me. Especially you, Max." She regarded the brunette with a warm smile. "I'm going to go see a doctor soon...my parents are staying up here for a little while. They want me to come home but...I'm not sure that's the best idea." She blinked her eyes, tears washing in from the corners. "I just don't want to be known as the girl Mark Jefferson drugged and took pictures of..." She bit her lip. "Reporters keep trying to interview me and I just want to forget this ever happened. If I could go back in time..." Each syllable stabbed at Max's heart..

_No Kate, trust me..._

"Hey, Kate." Chloe moved in front of her and placed both hands on her shoulders, hunching down a little so they were eye level. "I wasn't able to save Rachel before it went too far...but you're here. We still get to keep you!" She shook the blonde gently. Kate looked on dumbfounded as Chloe grinned. "I know we never talked much...ever, but you're Max's friend and so now you are mine. I'm included in the contract." She said snarkily. "And we..." She waved her hand back and forth between her and Max. "We are going to protect you. If you want to stay in Arcadia Bay while this gets worked out, we've got your back. "

Max watched the conversation unfold, a warm feeling spreading in her chest. The rough and mean punk was cherishing everything Max cherished.

_Chloe you...wowser._

"Oh, th-thank you, Chloe." Kate rubbed at one of her eyes. "You're so much nicer than you look!" She immediately clasped a hand to her mouth, her eyes screaming with regret. Max squawked in laughter as the punk stood up straight.

"That's right, I'm like a...like a cactus!" Chloe proclaimed. "I look super prickly but I also have flowers. But that'll work out in your favor." She winked. "You get any trouble from hack reporters, you tell me and I'll take care of 'em." Chloe shook her fist.

"Oh no! I don't want anybody to get hurt!" Kate squealed.

"I won't _hurt_ them, Kate." Chloe laughed. "But I can give quite the verbal lashing."

"It's true," Max said coolly, nodding her head with eyebrows raised. "She's a real fucker when she wants to be." Kate blushed again, but in an Oscar-acceptance-speech kind of way.

"Thank you, both of you." She wrapped Chloe in a hug, the blue haired girl flinching at the surprise of it. Max giggled to herself as Kate's face contorted in disgust from the smell of smoke. "I'm going to go out to eat with my folks," she said as she released Chloe from the hug. "But I'll see you tomorrow, Max? In school?"

"Of course, Kate." Max hopped off the truck bed to give Kate a hug herself. The quiet girl waved to the both of them as she walked to a group of people, Max recognizing some of them from the photos in her room. The two girls lazily clambered back up into the truck bed, this time snuggling into each other.

"The hell was that?" Max asked, laughing.

"What?" The punk looked confused. "I thought she took it well!"

"No, I mean...that comforting momma bear thing?" She gave Chloe a small kiss on the cheek. The girl just shrugged in response, voicing a mushed up 'Idunno.' She held Max's hand.

"I mean, I guess it's just that...I had that dream, you know? With you and her up on the roof? I saw how hopeless and scared she was. So, when I saw her I kinda just wanted to hug her until her head popped off." She rested her head against Max's. "But I thought that was probably inappropriate, so instead I figured I'd let her know we care about her. That works too, right?"

Max had managed to push the idea of Chloe seeing her memories out of her mind. It made her feel very exposed and a bit sick to her stomach. But in this scenario, it had worked out and as Chloe had said, it brought them closer – something she wanted with an immense passion.

"It was amazing, Chloe. Thank you."

"But don't think I'm turning into some softy, hippie. I will maintain these cactus barbs!" She bared her teeth in feigned savagery, holding her hands up like claws.

"Uh huh," Max snickered. "Well I guess since you're a cactus I don't have to water you that much...Chloe?" The blue haired girl was staring out past Max, her eyes filled with unreadable emotion. Max followed her gaze to an RV parked down the street. "Frank..." Max sighed, pressing a palm into her temple.

"I should go talk to him..." Chloe's stare unwavering.

"Okay, but listen to me," Max began. "Chloe!" She snapped in front of the girl's face to get her attention.

"What. What?"

"I never told you this but...if there's a chance of you seeing it in a dream, I can't keep it a secret." Max was fiddling with Chloe's fingers. The punk looked uncertain.

"What is it, Max?"

"When we went to get Frank's client book from him, it didn't go...well the first time. Remember I asked you to ditch the gun?" She was gnawing at the inside of her cheek. Chloe nodded her head.

"Well, you...ugh, fuck." She felt her throat tighten up in anxiety. "You killed Frank and Pompidou." Her nails were probably digging into Chloe's hand, but she couldn't help it. Chloe just looked at her, her brow furrowed.

"I killed him? I wouldn't do that. Why would I do that?" She shook her head incredulously. Max wrapped Chloe in a hug.

"I was in danger..." Her voice was quiet. "You did it for me." Their eyes remained locked together, with Chloe's gaining some tears.

"Then..." Chloe said after a moment, sighing her words. "Then I did the right thing at the time. I would do anything for you, Max." She leaned forward a bit to kiss her girlfriend's cheek.

"I don't want you to kill for me, Chloe," Max said somewhat angrily.

"Not fair," Chloe said, her gaze intense. "You would have killed a whole fucking town for me if I asked. I know that. Do you?" Max looked down sheepishly.

"But...you didn't," she whispered. Max's head suddenly felt like it would explode.

_This is too much emotion for one day._

Chloe placed a hand under her chin, lifting her head up until their eyes met.

"But you would've," the punk said in a quiet, embarrassed tone. "And it doesn't matter now, anyway. Frank's alive. Everyone's alive. And I know that he's hurting. I just want to check on him." Max planted a small kiss on her temple.

"Okay. Should I stay here? He doesn't know who I am in this timeline and I don't want to make it like, weird."

"Nah, come with me. Have to introduce you at some point, right? Might as well get it out of the way." Chloe smiled at her. "I wanna show you off, anyway."

"Oh, so I'm a prize now?" Max asked, bemused.

"Yep, a big ol' sexy, gold trophy," Chloe teased. She slid out of the truck and raised her hand to Max. "Shall we, my dear?" Max eyed the RV, remembering Frank's reaction in the diner.

_Poor Frank...this is going to be rough._

She forced a smile, taking Chloe's hand.

"We shall."

* * *

Max stood close to Chloe as she knocked on the RV door. A muted barking started up and was quickly silenced but Frank's voice. The door swung open, Frank rolling his eyes at the sight of Chloe. She wore a big, pained smile.

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice gruff. His eyes were very red.

"Hey Frank," Chloe said taking a small step forward. "I just...I just wanted to check in on you." He squinted at her. Pompidou snaked between his legs out into the parking lot and jumped up on Max.

"Well hey, little guy," Max said, rubbing Pompidou's belly.

"Who's she?" Frank asked, nodding toward Max, his voice not leaving its bitterness.

"This is Max." Chloe walked over to the girl and slung an arm around her. "She's my girlfriend!" She proclaimed with a big smile. Frank stared for a moment before laughing.

"Well shit, Price, I never expected you to hop the fence. I guess once you give every guy in Arcadia Bay a try you might as well switch sides." He laughed, pointing at the blue haired girl. She clenched her fists. Max felt dizzy for a moment.

_How...many guys?_

"Oh fuck you, dude. I came over here to see how you were holding up since, yanno, Rachel is **DEAD**. I wanted to make sure you didn't have a fucking gun in your mouth. Looks like _I'm_ the asshole." She shook her head viciously before turning around, ready to storm off.

"Chloe, hang on," Max said, catching her by the arm.

"Wait, wait, I'm sorry." Frank held his hands in the air. "That was a total dick move, Chloe. I'm sorry." Chloe glowered at him, the fire burning in her eyes. "Kid, I _am_ sorry. Just...I'm a fucking mess, okay?" Frank waved his arms around. Max stepped forward.

"Chloe told me how close you were to Rachel. I'm very sorry for your loss." She extended a hand. Frank looked at it cautiously, before grasping it and shaking.

"Yeah, I am too..." He noticed Pompidou slowly walking in circles around Max. "Pompidou seems to like you. Do you...like dogs?"

"I love dogs!" Max said, kneeling down to pet Pompidou. She looked at Chloe who still seemed to be seething with rage. Frank smiled at Max, an expression she wasn't quite sure she'd ever seen him make, before he sniffled and began to wipe at his eyes.

"Do you uh...you guys wanna come in?" He held out his arm behind him, presenting his RV. Chloe shifted her feet, the burn in her eyes not yet faded.

"We'd love to," Max said, grabbing Chloe's arm and pulling her inside.

* * *

"I don't have much to drink...just beer and soda," Frank said, shuffling through his small fridge.

"Soda sounds good, thanks," Max offered. Chloe just shook her head.

"Christ, Chloe, give me a break. I said I'm sorry." Frank grimaced as he handed Max her drink. "You know I can't handle this kind of shit." He fell into the driver's seat, legs swung over of the side. She huffed and tilted her head at Max, one eyebrow cocked. The brunette took her hand.

"Frank," Max said. "How are you doing?"

_Damage control. Damage control. Need to smooth this over._

"I...I don't know. It still doesn't seem real. I thought..." His voice buckled. "I thought she just ran away, you know? I kind of expected that, at least." He stared at the wall, his gaze many miles away from the RV. Suddenly he sobbed. "They didn't let me in!" He stomped on the ground while slamming one hand into the dashboard before burying his face in his hands. "I didn't even get to see her!" The fire in Chloe's eyes was immediately extinguished.

"What?" She stood up. "Why the fuck not?" She clenched her fists again, this time for Frank's benefit. He began to cry hard, wiping at his face with his sleeve.

"Look at me, Chloe! Everyone knows I'm a piece of shit! Why would they want me in there?"

"But you were her..." Chloe hesitated a moment, before quietly sighing. "Her boyfriend." Frank looked up at her, a look of desperation in his eyes.

"Do you..." He swallowed. "Do you know how she died?" Max felt herself tense up. Chloe looked to the side, then down at the floor.

"Nathan Prescott killed her." She said bitterly.

"No, do you know **HOW**?" His expression was pained. He grabbed at his hair, flustered. " _ **I**_ killed her. I sold that fucking psycho those drugs. It was **my** fault." The sentence trailed off into blistered sobs. Max shot Chloe a look and nodded. No words needed, Chloe understood her message. She approached Frank and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It is _not_ your fault," Chloe said. Max could see in her eyes that the blue haired girl didn't quite believe it herself. "Frank, it wasn't. You couldn't have known it was going to end up like that."

"What kind of person am I?" Frank asked no one in particular. "I sold him date rape drugs, Chloe. How many other girls went through that because of me? I'm a fucking monster." He began sobbing again. Chloe looked at Max with wired eyes and mouthed 'help me.'

"It was just a bundle of fucked up circumstances," Max said quietly. "I didn't know Rachel, but from everything Chloe has told me, I know she wouldn't want to see you like this." She shrugged at Chloe who gave her a thumbs up.

"Yeah, dude. You and I both know Rach, more than anyone, was totally into the 'everything happens for a reason' thing." Chloe continued patting his shoulder, wincing a bit at her poor comforting skills.

"Don't tell me this shit was predestined. I don't go for that," he said, venom in his voice. Chloe squatted so she was eye level with Frank.

"Frank. Look at me," she commanded. He lifted his head slowly, gazing into her eyes. "I'm sorry that this happened. I am. You know she meant a lot to me, too." Max felt a bubble of jealousy spring up, but squashed it quickly. "If you want, the first time you visit her, I could go with you. For support." He stared at her, looking more exhausted by the second. She smiled and gave him a soft punch on the shoulder. "Us misfits have to stick together, don't you think?"

"I...I'd actually like that. Thanks, Chloe." He let out a long sigh. "This is fucked up, man."

Max watched the two as they quietly repaired their friendship, bonding over a girl they both loved who could no longer love either of them back. Chloe's awkward but ever growing sincere attempt at comforting Frank made Max smile. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

_There's another miracle for you, Rachel. How many is it to be canonized?_

Suddenly, Max's phone buzzed. Glancing at Chloe and Frank once more, she turned her attention to the screen. She had a text message from Justin.

**Justin:** yo max I saw you were with Chloe. Trevor and I were wondering if you wanted to hang out? Mostly us guys who used to chill with Rach and Chloe. Dana and Juliet will be there too.

Max smiled to herself, excited at the opportunity to become closer with her classmates, but feeling slightly guilty because of the circumstances. The punk stood in front of her, her arms crossed.

"So, hey, Frank kind of wants to be alone for a little. You ready to head out?" She wore her usual smirk, but her eyes were loving. And red.

"Sure, Chlo. Actually, Justin just texted me. He wants to know if we wanted to attend a little powwow in honor of Rachel. Are you up for that?" She rocked her body left and right as if it would coerce the taller girl. Chloe laughed lightly.

"You know what, fucking why not? I bet they have weed. I could, uh..." She scratched the back of her head, blushing somewhat. "I could use some 'o that." Max giggled, shaking her head. As they stood up to leave, she turned to Frank.

"I hope you feel better soon, Frank. It was nice to meet you."

_Even though we've met...I'll never get used to this._

"Yeah, you too, Max." He said, looking more through her than at her. Then he snickered, pointing at Chloe. "Make sure that crazy bitch doesn't get into trouble, alright?" She heard Chloe huff behind her, but she could tell she was smiling.

"I'll try, but she's pretty feisty," Max laughed.

"Oh hey, look what I got you guys!" Chloe exclaimed, holding both middle fingers up.

"That's my Chloe," Max said, rolling her eyes.


	7. What Say You?

"Maximum Power!" Justin exclaimed as he opened the door.

"Hey Justin," Max giggled. "I brought a Chloe with me." She nodded to the punk.

"Sup dude?" She said, performing their handshake.

"Awesome, awesome. Come in!" Justin said, slurring his words in his patented way.

It was an apartment somewhere in a newer complex that had been built since Max left. It apparently belonged to a friend of Justin's who was currently out of town, but allowed the guys to crash and party there at will. Chloe knew the place, so getting there wasn't a problem. Max immediately felt her chest seize when she entered the room, stifling the need to cough. The apartment was coated in smoke and the recently familiar smell of weed filled the air. She glanced at the ceiling.

_Are there sprinklers in here or what? This place looks like it's **actually** on fire._

Justin ushered the girls into another room where a group of people were sitting in a circle. The brunette recognized Trevor, Dana, Juliet and some of the other skater guys that were always with Justin. Upon seeing them, the group cheered, holding their hands in the air.

"Look who I found!" Justin said too late, only speaking after the reaction died down.

_Whoops, looks like Justin's latency is in the red. The GM's should restart his server._

"Max!" Dana screamed, springing to her feet and wrapping the girl in a hug. Max smiled, reciprocating.

"Hey Dana." She looked at everyone else. "Hey guys."

"Chloe Price! The Batman of Arcadia!" Trevor shouted from his seat. "How are you doin' man?"

"Uh...I'm alright, I guess." Chloe blushed, scratching at her hair through her reacquired beanie. She ditched the jacket too, now wearing just the tank top.

"Nah but forreall-y, Chloe. How are you doing? We thought we were going to lose you." Justin admitted as he sat down. Chloe pulled her tank top up slightly, revealing the bandage on her ribs.

"Yep, I'm a fucking warrior now, guys. Bow!" She and everyone laughed. Max was pretty sure she heard Justin mutter 'hot,' which she would agree with.

"I can't believe that little Pres-bitch-boy did all this shit, man," A boy whose name Max didn't know said. Dana gently tugged on Max's sleeve to get her to sit next to her. Chloe followed.

"Yeah man," Trevor said. "We were like...gonna fuck him up or something. First Rach and then you? He's fucking with all the cool people. Even Kate, man..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "And then Jefferson? What the **fuck** dude?"

_Trevor, if you had any idea how many times that exact sentence has run through my mind this week..._

"Yeah, well..." Chloe said, shifting uncomfortably. "They're both going to fucking rot in a cell."

"Sounds too good for them," Juliet spoke up. Everyone seemed clearly loosened up due to the weed, but she wore a scowl. "I've been sick to my fucking stomach all week. I treated Kate like shit."

"Juliet, we've been over this." Dana rolled her eyes. "We're dumb fucking teenagers. It happens. We didn't know what was really going on!"

"Well, Max didn't make fun of her..." Juliet grunted. All eyes shifted to Max. She stared back, unsure of what to say.

"Max is like an old soul, man," Justin said, waving a hand slowly in Max's direction. "She just gets shit." Max blushed.

_Well...at least these guys seem to be my friends in this reality. At least, when they're stoned._

"How are you holding up, Chloe?" Trevor asked, smoke slowly escaping his lips. "I know you and Rach were the tighest. It's all so fucked up." Chloe pursed her lips, clearly holding back more tears.

"I dunno, man. It sucks? It's not something I can put into words, really..." Her eyes focused on the lit joint. "And I got fucking shot, so there's that too. Zero out of ten, wouldn't recommend." Trevor snickered a little before holding the joint out for Chloe. She briefly glanced at Max, who nodded her approval, before grinning like a monster. "This I _would_ recommend!" She chirped happily as she took it from him. Everyone laughed.

"Have you talked to Kate?" Juliet asked Max. "Haven't seen her much since everything went down. I know she's been staying in the dorms but...I don't know what to say to her." Juliet fiddled with the end of her skirt.

"Yeah, we've been in touch. She's going through a lot, obviously. But she needs friends right now!" Max said, smiling at Chloe blowing smoke rings. "I think she'd appreciate if she knew you were there for her." Max thought for a moment. "But don't...interview her, okay? Nothing against you, but she's been getting hammered by reporters trying to turn her into a star."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Juliet said, shaking her head. She clenched her fists. "Dude, if I see someone trying to exploit her for airtime I will lose my shit."

"Yeah man," Justin slurred. "I'll like, fuckin' crack a bitch with my board. No jokes." He held both hands out in a stereotypical karate pose.

"Jesusfuck that's good," Chloe reclined into Max a little, handing the joint to another guy. "I've been taking these painkillers but they just make me sleepy..." She peeked up at the hipster. "And very affectionate," she added sarcastically.

"Nah, you can't be taking government medicine, man!" Justin said, his voice louder than he was probably aware.

"Oh dude, shut the hell up." A boy sitting next to him said, nudging him playfully.

_This is fucking hilarious. Wish I had my camera._

"I'm gonna like," Dana started, taking a drag of the joint, "burn down the Vortex Club. It deserves to die!" She clawed the air with one hand repeatedly.

"I knew that shitty club was bad news," Juliet pouted.

"You were in it too, Jul." Trevor smiled in a non-mocking way. "I mean, we all knew it was being run by assholes, but we didn't think a fucking murderer was funding it."

"Oh dude, do you think Papa Prescott knew about any of this shit?" A boy with long hair covering one of his eyes asked.

"Dunno," Chloe said. "But he needs to be held accountable for something." She leaned into Max a little more, her head now on her shoulder.

"Bro, that dude probably carries around a pitchfork," Justin lazily lofted words into the air as he himself began to lie down. "That whole family is a pack of demons."

"Do demons travel in packs?" A boy asked.

"Yeah man, like wolves," Justin retorted.

Max, admittedly, felt slightly out of her comfort zone with the drugs. She of course didn't mind it, but she was always an awkward, clumsy person and usually hated the idea of her mind getting any further away from her than it already was. However, she was pretty sure she was getting a contact high. Chloe had the joint again, which was nearing its end, and she took a small drag before Max clutched her arm.

"Can...I try?" She whispered. It wasn't really necessary, as everyone was involved in their own conversations. Chloe raised her eyebrows.

"Dude, really? You sure?" There was a small spark of excitement in her voice.

"Uh...yeah! Yes. You don't think I'll get paranoid, do you?" Max poked each of Chloe's fingers with her index.

"I mean, it's possible, but it usually makes me hella calm. You could..." She said, looking Max over. "You could use some calm."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Max snorted, whipping her hand against Chloe's arm. The punk bared her teeth in a smile. She handed the almost used up joint to another guy as she saw a new one being lit. She cleared her throat.

"Alright fuckers, here's the deal," Chloe announced. Max immediately went red.

_Wait, wait, what!? No, don't make this a thing, Chloe. Oh Dog. OH DOG._

"Max here has never smoked before but would like to try it. She's going to attempt it and if she coughs or gags, nobody is going to smirk or laugh. Got it?" She had her finger in the air. Everyone slowly nodded, some with a 'hmm not bad' expression.

"Awww shit yeah, Maxers gon' get baked." Justin cheered from the ground with his eyes closed. Trevor handed Chloe the new joint and she handed it to Max.

"So, you just put your lips on the end, pull on it...like, inhale. Then inhale the smoke. Easy peasy!" She patted Max's knee several times.

_This might be a huge mistake. Oh fuck..._

Max brought the joint to her mouth and sealed her lips around it. All eyes were on her. Feeling a small panic, she clamped her eyes shut. She inhaled briefly before immediately choking, expelling a small amount of smoke.

"Ugh, what the fuck," she shuddered. True to their word, nobody laughed or did anything mean. Chloe faced Max and got on her knees, taking the joint.

"Max, do you trust me?" She asked the brunette. Feeling nervous, she glanced around the room before looking back at Chloe.

"Uh...of course. You know I do."

"Alright, good," Chloe said before taking a long, deep hit. With puffy cheeks, she handed it to the guy next to her before grabbing Max's head and pressing their lips together. She coerced Max's lips open and exhaled as their tongues met. After a moment, she pulled away, Max's eyes wide open, lips parted. With a look of shock on her face, she slowly breathed out, a giant plume of smoke leaking through her lips. The room watched in absolute silence.

_Holy **fuck.**_

"Wooooah..." Max said slowly, eliciting a giant cheer from the group.

"Okay, that was pretty hot," Trevor said, a big grin on his face. Dana shot him a look but shook her head and shrugged.

"Pretty hot," she agreed.

"Wait, what was?" Justin asked as he sat up. The room burst into laughter. Max looked at Chloe with a huge, surprised smile.

"Chloe!" She excitedly whispered. "I can't believe you."

"Rad, right? But I can't momma bird you forever, unfortunately. Next one is all you." The blue haired girl leaned toward Max and kissed her cheek. The brunette saw Dana shaking her head, smiling.

"Ready for the next one?" Trevor asked, holding the joint out for Max. Feeling only slightly fuzzy and warm, she nodded, grinning.

* * *

"I shall be telling this with a high!" Max declared. The group sat around her, completely enraptured. "Somewhere ages and ages hence! Two roads diverged in a wood, and I..." She stopped and looked around, giggling. "I simply forget the rest." The room erupted in laughter.

"I always forget how funny it is when someone smokes for the first time," Trevor said, lying with his head in Dana's lap.

"Who's bein' funny?" Max asked, laughing.

"That'd be you, Maximo," Chloe said, snaking her arms around Max's waist. The small girl turned so they were facing each other.

"I _like_ this." She grinned. "You are a goobafluence!"

"Good bad influence?" Chloe asked, the brunette nodding. The punk grinned, rubbing their noses together.

"Man, you two look _awfully_ comfy," Dana said, en eyebrow raised. She absentmindedly stroked Trevor's hair.

"We are in love, thank you very much." Max pointed at Dana. Chloe laughed.

"Yeah, we are," she added quietly, nuzzling the girl's cheek. "Max and me were best friends from...basically birth until thirteen. She had to move away, but now she's back and incredibly hot."

"No you." Max said quickly. The punk giggled.

"She was in the bathroom when Nathan shot me. She went to the hospital with me. Sounds pretty crazy destiny shit, huh?" Max listened to how Chloe tactfully relived the week she didn't actually experience.

_Don't talk about time travel, dumby._

"No, that sounds stupid romantic," Dana sighed longingly. She flicked Trevor's nose with a smile. "How come you didn't do some destiny shit for me?"

"Sorry, babe," was all he could muster. Dana turned back to the couple.

"We should like, totally double date all the time." Her eyes widened. "Wait, how long has this been going on? If it's anything more than twenty-five hours, I'll be _so_ mad you didn't text me, Max!"

"Why twenty-five?" Max squinted.

"Because you get a whole day plus one consolation hour! That seems fair to me."

"Been like a week, biiiitch." Max rocked her body back and forth.

"Maxine Caulfield! I trusted you!" Dana held a hand to her chest in feigned disgust. Max made a square with her fingers and pressed an invisible button, making a 'click' sound.

"You are fucking adorable, you little shit," Chloe whispered into Max's ear.

"No you," she said again. "Hey, I know how this is going to sound..." She began, looking sheepish. "But...am I talking too loud? I feel like I'm talking really loud."

"You're fine," the punk said, kissing her cheek. Max muttered an 'okay.'

"We should play some tunes." Justin said, entering the room after his bathroom break. The group had boiled down to just Max, Chloe, Dana and Trevor as everyone else had wandered to different areas of the apartment. He looked around for a moment, then leaned down so the two couples could hear him. "Yo, Juliet and Aiden are totally making out in the other room."

"Huh. I thought he was gay?" Trevor said.

"Right!? Me too! But that's cool, if she's going to start hanging with us, she should date someone cool and not a douche like Zach." Justin responded, hooking up his mp3 player to a speaker. Dana made an audible noise of disgust.

"He's a pig. He totally hit on me right in front of Juliet. She had this weird...Stockholm Syndrome thing going on." She shrugged. Max recalled her brief conversations with Zach and decided he wasn't a bad guy, just...a product of society.

_Just another one from the Bro Factory._

"What should I put on?" Justin asked, holding the mp3.

"Man, I don't care. Whatever works for me." Trevor said, not opening his eyes.

"Put on some stuff Rachel liked," Chloe said. Max turned to gauge her expression, smiling when she saw it didn't include tears. "Ooh!" The punk spasmed, hitting her hand on the floor. "Put on Belt!"

"Aw yeah!" Justin exclaimed. He fidgeted with the device for a moment before setting it down. A strange recording started. Max listened intently, closing her eyes. After a moment of goofy introduction, guitars screamed into existence, taking Max by surprise.

_Dude!_

The song continued on. Justin and Chloe rocked their bodies, Dana moved her head like a pendulum. Trevor didn't do much of anything.

_Is he sleeping?!_

Max began to rock her head back and forth with the song until it died down, starting into a triumphant climax.

"So what say you..." Chloe began, pointing at Justin.

"And all your friends..." He replied.

"Meet all of my friends in the alley tonight, yeah!" They both continued, repeating the words until the song ended. Feeling ever so slightly tired, Max surveyed the room, replaying the words in her head. In that moment, she loved everything. The blue haired girl with arms wrapped around her. Justin, the stoner. Dana, the high-as-a-kite cheerleader. Trevor the...sleeping(?) skater. She shifted herself more comfortably, fully engulfed in Chloe's arms.

"Can we play it again?" She asked.

* * *

"Remember that time I fucking ate it on that rail at Blackwell and Rachel laid down next to me and told people we were making shapes out of clouds?" Justin asked.

"Haha dude, that was hilarious," Chloe responded.

"Or that time Rachel stole that big fucking bag of weed from the Vortex Club and brought it here?" Trevor, finally awake, recalled.

"Jesus, and that time the cops started yelling at us for skateboarding in that parking lot and Rachel fake cried until they felt so bad they left?" Chloe added. The three of them laughed.

"I miss her, man..." Justin said.

"I know, I do too..." Said the punk.

Max and Dana sat on the sofa for a bit while the other three remained on the carpet talking. Dana leaned toward Max.

"It feels weird that I never really knew her, you know?" Her expression was somber. "I saw her around, but never talked to her. I wish I had. I kind of just...would've liked to have memories of her like they do."

"Me too, Dana," Max sighed. "She sounded...sounds, awesome." Max had pretty much completely come down from her very first high, but now she was tired...and a little hungry. Without warning, a big yawn snuck up on her, unleashing itself. Chloe turned to her from the floor.

"Ooh, little Max is getting sleepy. I should probably take her to her dorm." She stood up, dusting off her pants.

"No, no, I'm fine. We can stay." Max argued, embarrassed that she had yawned during such a sad conversation.

"Nice try, but I'm pretty tired myself." She helped Justin to his feet, then Trevor. She gave them each a big hug. "This was awesome, guys. And I got through it without crying!" She patted Trevor's arm. Max and Dana also stood up. Max was somewhat surprised when Dana and the two boys each gave her a hug.

"Good times, Max. Let's do this all the time," Trevor said.

"Maaaax, that was sick! You get high like a true champion." That one was Justin.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Max. We can chat some more about..." Dana winked at Chloe. "You know what." The punk stared, amused, before taking Max's hand. "Oh and you two better be coming to the Halloween Party! It's still on!" Dana called after them.

"Dude, I think they're dating," Max heard Justin say just as the door closed. She stopped and began howling with laughter. Chloe prodded her along.

"You still high, ya little freak?" Chloe asked.

"Nah," Max shook her head. "Just really happy. That was so fun! I barely even thought about time travel the whole time." The blue haired girl smiled at her.

"You handled yourself well. I'm impressed," Chloe said, wrapping Max in a surprise hug from behind.

"Thanks. I hope I wasn't like...stupid or anything." The brunette blushed.

"Oh, you were an idiot. But you're _my_ idiot!"

Max found herself humming the end of the song, which they had listened to several times, to the point of Dana making them play something else.

"I love that song!" Max said.

"It was one of Rachel's favorites," Chloe said, unlocking the truck. "You've got good taste, babe."

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Max asked, leaping across the seat and kissing her girlfriend.


	8. Trigger Warning

"Mi casa," Max said, holding her arms out as the door to her dorm swung open. Chloe ducked inside, the brunette following behind her.

"This sneaking in thing is getting to be pretty easy, eh?" The punk nudged Max, presumably looking quite smarmy.

"It is...but I'm pretty sure David basically gave me a free pass," she replied. "Which is nice of him."

"Stupid David, sucking the fun out of everything." Chloe huffed, crossing her arms.

"Right, because we want him to continue being our enemy." Max tilted her head, shooting Chloe a look that couldn't be seen in the dark. She flicked the lights on.

"Woooah," Chloe said, wide-eyed. "These are some nice digs, baby." She locked their arms together, sliding off her boots without untying them. She stopped suddenly as she caught sight of the Polaroid collage. Her mouth hung open slightly, something Max found adorable. "Did you take _all_ of these?" She leaned over the bed, tracing her hand along the photos. Max 'mhm'd!' "It's beautiful..."

"Thanks!" Max beamed as Chloe wrapped her in a hug. "I think you're beautiful." The punk giggled.

"Seriously, look at that!" Chloe pointed to the wall. "Sometimes I forget how fucking talented you are." She placed a kiss in Max's hair. "I mean, not like _forget_ forget, just that every so often I'm reminded." Max squirmed out of Chloe's grasp, moving over to her desk.

"You're talented too, Chloe! Do you still draw and write and stuff?" She thought for a moment. "There's still weird stuff we need to catch up on, I guess."

"Nah, I kind of stopped a while ago..." Chloe said, taking a seat on Max's bed.

"You should start again!" Max cheered, holding up her journal. "You know I'm not even that good at it, but I've been keeping this journal for a long time. It actually saved me." Max laughed a little. "You totally _are_ still drawing, by the way. Your graffiti is everywhere." The punk blew a raspberry, waving a dismissive hand. Suddenly Max's phone chirped.

**Dana:** Max! Had so much fun tonight!

**Dana:** I just checked fb and it says you are single. LIAR!

_Dana, you are soooo nosy, in a weirdly good way._

Max giggled, moving back to show Chloe her phone.

"Looks like Dana wants us to make it 'Facebook Official,' Chlo," she said.

"Why not?" Chloe grinned. "Proclaim it from the digital rooftops!"

"Um, we should...but maybe I should tell my parents first. I'm friends with relatives on there and I guess they deserve to hear it from me first?" She blushed.

"Whatever floats your boat, Maxipad. I for one am excited to..." The punk trailed off. "Dude!" She exclaimed, hopping off of the bed and skating over to the guitar leaning against the sofa. "Holy shit! This is awesome!" She held it up, strumming one clumsy chord, smiling deviously. Her face twisted into confusion, glancing down at the guitar and back at Max. "Uh, do you play this thing?"

"Yeah, but I'm not very good..." Max blushed again.

"That is awesome!" Chloe hopped in place, her grin tearing through Max's heart. "Oh man, you just keep getting sexier!" Max snickered, walking over to the punk and taking the guitar from her hands before setting it down.

"I said I'm not very good," she insisted. "And I don't know how to play any of your crazy punk music." Chloe drooped her head to the side, giving the brunette a wry smile.

"Yeah, that crazy Bright Eyes shit, right? Fuckin' thrashing the room," she scoffed.

"Dude, Conor Oberst can fly off the rails when he wants," Max said, flopping on the couch. She patted the seat next to her. "I _can_ play Lua." Chloe squealed in excitement, taking her place next to Max.

"That is hella sick, you've got to play for me sometime." She clutched Max's hand, bringing it to her lips.

"Maybe someday," the hipster said, her cheeks growing red once more. She inched closer to Chloe, slinging one leg across the punk's.

"So, did you want me to leave so you could get some sleep or...?" The blue haired girl posed the question, clearly desiring a specific answer.

"Kinda thought you were stayin' the night," Max muttered, glancing to the side. The punk lit up, throwing her arms around the smaller girl. After a moment of settling into each other, Max spoke. "Man, today was a whirlwind, huh? I cried a lot, then cried some more...then told Kate we were dating. Then met Frank." She used air quotes on the word 'met.'

"And you got baked!" Chloe added.

"Aaand I got baked," Max laughed. "That was interesting..."

_That really was fun, I wonder if I should do it more often..._

"It was adorable is what it was. I wonder what you're like when you're drunk?" Chloe mused, twirling a finger through Max's hair.

"You tryin' to corrupt me?" The brunette asked, her voice low and flirtatious.

"Totally," Chloe said, beginning to lean into Max. "Just a little bit, here and there..." She put more pressure on the girl until Max was lying on her back. The punk hovered over her, a hand pressed into the cushion to keep her separated. Maybe it was the lighting in the room, but in that angle, Chloe looked like a total goddess. Max felt her throat dry up, a warm feeling pinball-ing through her stomach.

"Hey you," Chloe whispered, her breath lightly washing over Max's face. The tone she used made Max glad she wasn't standing, because her knees were positively gelatin.

"Hi..." Max managed, her mind racing.

_Chloe, you are...so beautiful._

The blue haired girl descended upon the brunette. Their lips met, their feet tangled. Max's hands rushed through blazing blue hair while Chloe's free hand curled under the girl's back. Twisting together, Chloe's body flat on hers, Max wrapped her legs around the girl's waist. The punk pulled away, flashing a sinister smirk, before attacking Max's neck.

_Poor girl, ya didn't even stand a chance. Just look at her...or rather, feel her. Wait...is she biting me?_

The slight pinching prompted several low moans as the brunette writhed. She felt her mind go bubbly, the fear and sadness she had felt the past week washed away in the ocean of Chloe's love.

"You bein' a vampire?" Max snickered, Chloe mumbling in the affirmative against her skin. She closed her eyes tight, letting the sensation take her over. Chloe, finally moving the hand that was no longer propping her up, tightly grabbed Max's wrist, pinning it against the arm of the sofa.

A small roar of thunder raced through her head, but it was drowned out by the punk's lips. It appeared again, gliding through the background of bliss. A general sense of unease began growing in Max's chest. It struck a third time, this time the sound of it threatening to blow her head apart. Her breathing hitched as her eyes sprung open. Feeling her heartbeat speed up, she glanced around the room, panicked.

_What's going on? I'm freaking out. What..._

Max suddenly became _very_ aware of how tightly Chloe was holding her wrist. She began to feel sick, her stomach unwinding.

"Chloe..." She breathed, anxious. The girl either didn't hear her, or took it as a moan of enjoyment. " _Chloe_..." She said again, feeling the small bites become ever more unpleasant. Finally, with a bit more gusto than she had probably meant, Chloe nipped at Max in such a way that it stung, sending a sharp needle-like pain through her neck.

_I hope you don't mind needles and duct tape._

" **Chloe!** " Max screamed, using every ounce of strength she had to throw the punk off of her and onto the floor. She sat up, sobbing, putting her head in her hands.

"Max, what the fuck was..." Chloe trailed off. "Max? Max!" The brunette felt tears against her hands, before a third hand she wasn't the owner of gripped her chin and yanked her face upward forcefully.

"I'm sorry! I just..." She stared into Chloe's horrified, blue eyes, the punk's hand resting under her chin. The blue haired girl's lip began to quiver, a single tear falling down her cheek. "Chloe? What's wrong?" Max asked, still feeling anxious.

"Your uh..." Her voice caught in her throat. "Your nose..." Her hand moved up from Max's chin to her cheek, where her thumb grazed across the pooling blood. "Did...I do that?" She asked, wincing. Max brought her own hand up to her nose, feeling the warm liquid beneath it. Something in her snapped, and she began sobbing.

"Hey, hey," Chloe whispered as she took her seat back on the couch. "Are you okay? What happened?" She left kisses along the brunette's cheek and in her hair before stopping at her ear. She slowly slipped her arms around Max, hesitant to cause any more discomfort. "You're okay, you're okay," she repeatedly whispered into the crying girl's ear.

"I'm not sure I am, though, Chloe!" Max wailed. "How **fucking** long is this going to happen!?" She leaned to the side, ripping a tissue from the box on the floor and patting it under her nose.

_How long will this go on? Stop torturing me!_

"Did you have a panic attack?" Chloe asked, whispering. "You're okay, I'm here. I'm here."

"I..." Max began, sobbing right after the words left her mouth. Chloe slightly tightened her embrace. A few minutes passed, Chloe continually whispering comforting things into her ear before she could continue. She sighed, the crying finally lessening. "When Jefferson kidnapped me, he..." She turned to face the punk, seeing now that Chloe had been crying with her. "He tied me up with duct tape...when you grabbed my wrist, I just started thinking about it." She closed her eyes, lightly smacking her head against the wall behind her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you _dare_ fucking apologize to me, Max." Chloe said, her voice carrying some bite. " _I'm_ sorry. I didn't know. I'm sorry, okay?" She wrapped the brunette in a hug, crying tears into her shoulder. "Not tonight, but when you're ready...you have to tell me what happened to you. If there's a chance this could happen, that I could like...trigger this, I need to know what not to do." She kissed Max's cheek. "I will not be the reason you're hurting. I love you and I need to protect you."

"I'm sorry I pushed you..." Max sighed, blushing a little but clearly frustrated. Seeing the change in mood, Chloe smirked.

"You got some strength in that bony body of yours," she laughed. Max giggled before slipping back into darkness.

"This can't keep happening," she said. "I can't have this like, ghost PTSD that causes nosebleeds. I can't even go to the doctor for it!" She pressed a palm to her temple.

"We'll figure it out, babe," Chloe said, kissing Max's other temple. "No tight wrist holding, I'll jot it down for future reference. We'll work on it."

"I don't _want_ there to be these fucked up guidelines between us, Chloe!" Max said, her voice rising in volume. "I want to do anything and everything with you without having to worry about this shit."

"We'll get there in time," Chloe said. "Time that, thanks to you, we have. We'll get there." Chloe repositioned herself, slinging her arms around Max and dragging her onto her lap.

"I'm taller than you..." The hipster remarked, pouting with a muted laughter behind it.

"Super-sized Super Max," the punk whispered, holding the girl as close to her as she could.

* * *

The two girls snuggled, mostly in quiet, for an hour after Max's meltdown. The only times Chloe spoke during this period, she simply reiterated 'I love you' over and over. Max's mind had calm down, the shadows slinking back to their corner in her head. Now she was relishing the comfort Chloe was providing, occasionally humming different songs.

"Would you go to Dana's Halloween thing with me? I know it's not really your style so..." Max finally said. Chloe snickered into her ear, leaving a kiss behind.

"I'd do anything for you, Max. And Dana seems pretty cool. I trust Trevor's judgment in people. Not really...in anything else, ever, but in people." The blue haired girl said seriously.

"I'm happy they got together in this timeline," Max said quietly. "But I also know Justin really had a thing for her...I still feel kind of bad for him."

"He'll be fine," Chloe said. "Justin's kind of like that sad indie boy that's in every hippy movie I'm sure you love." Max rolled her eyes. "Falls for any girl that even glances his direction. He had a thing for Rachel and me, too." She thought for a moment. "Not to be inconsiderate of his feelings. We all know how much it fucking sucks to care for someone and them not feel the same. But he's tough, he'll figure it out." She thought for a moment. "He's perpetually high and when he's not being a goofball, it makes him kind of emotional."

"That's funny coming from you, the literal incarnate of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl," Max chided. Chloe cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't think so, Maxine." Chloe said, resting her head on the back of the sofa. "Isn't the big knock against that trope that they're flawless and bubbly? I've got my fair share of flaws..." She blew air through her lips. "I think I'm doing a good job with it for now right? But what if I just relapse into being a severe brat again? I've been given a second...er, fifth or sixth chance at life."

"Chloe," Max placed a hand on the punk's leg. "You _are_ perfect. You're real world perfect, not Hollywood perfect, and that's _better_. Perfection is like art or any worthwhile thing in life – it's subjective. And in the opinion of this... _artiste_ ," she grinned, emphasizing it in a silly way, "you are perfect."

Chloe stared at her, a warm smile budding in her cheeks. She took Max's hand and kissed it before frowning.

"I had to go to the doctor for a while after you left. Didn't last too long because my mom caved when I threw a tantrum about it, but there was a lot of discussion about me maybe having some sort of... _thing_." She waved her hand, simulating a Jedi Mind Trick. "They never diagnosed me with anything. They try to avoid it for people under a certain age. But I know several possibilities arose – bipolar and borderline personality were the two big ones they always mentioned." She stopped to read Max's face, who was listening intently, keeping one of Chloe's hands pressed between hers. "Anyway, that's always been sort of like this boogeyman in the back of my head. Believe it or not, I'm usually aware of when I'm being a shithead. But I still _do_ it because there's a part of my brain that just acts." She sighed slowly. Max surprised her with several quick kisses to her cheeks.

_Oh, Chloe. My poor Chloe._

"Go on," the brunette insisted, adding several more after she spoke.

"I dunno, there's not much more to go on about... It's just a thought I have sometimes. I spend so much time psyching myself up or rationalizing my shit by saying shit like 'oh well Dad's gone, Max's gone, this is appropriate behavior.' But deep down I always wonder if there's more to it, if there's something wrong with me on a chemical level." She shrugged, adding a lopsided smile. Max could tell it was forced.

"Chloe, even if you have some sort of illness, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with _you._ You can't help it!" Max wrapped her arms around the punk.

"I know. Or, I mean I know that in a logical sense. But it's always there in the back of my mind. I've never really discussed this with anyone..." She smiled. "But I thought you should know. Transparency and all that." Max kissed her, stifling her last syllable.

"We can be fucked up together," Max nodded, squishing her cheek against Chloe's. "Um...do you think you might go to back to the doctor eventually? Like I said, I love you the way you are, but if you think you need it..."

"Not sure," Chloe said. "That's kind of a scary thought... To get like, confirmation? But if it gets bad, like affects _us_? Yeah, I'll do anything I can." Max thought for a moment.

"Together forever," she said. "Nothing you do is going to drive you away from me. I'm only worried about you're comfort. I want you to be happy." Then she laughed. "God, 'together forever' is the type of bullshit all couples say to each other regardless of circumstance. It's so weird that we kind of have proof." The punk grinned, nipping at Max's nose.

"More like together _when_ ever." She sighed. "Anyway, I see you struggling with this trauma and everything that's happened with Kate and all...I just wanted you to know that some small portion of me gets it. Even if the situation isn't entirely similar, it's still the idea of mental demons." She rocked her head back and forth. "And transparency. No secrets between us."

"No secrets," Max agreed, tightening her grasp on her girlfriend.

"Well, that's weird to talk about theoretical madness," Chloe said, her tone shifting to familiar sarcasm. "Now I'm fucking tired. It really has been a long day." She glanced at Max's bed, a small smile creeping upon her face. "That's a tiny ass bed, kid. We're going to have to cuddle _reeeeeally_ close."

"Oh no," Max groaned, resting the back of her hand on her forehead. "However will I deal with it?" Chloe laughed before biting her lip, her eyes sending out 'oops!' signals. "What?" Max asked.

"Uh, is it going to be cold tomorrow?" The punk asked hesitantly.

"I'm not sure, why?" Max watched the girl suspiciously.

"I dunno, just wondering. Like, maybe it's good turtleneck weather! Yeah, totally, I bet it'll be great for a turtleneck." She bared her teeth in an awkward smile.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Max furrowed her brow before seeing Chloe's eyes glance toward her neck. "Oh dude, did you give me hickies?" She stood up and walked to the mirror.

"Yeah, a lot," Chloe blushed, beginning to laugh hard. "Sorry!" Max stood in front of the mirror, placing her fists at her waist in a superhero pose.

"I kinda like 'em!" She beamed, turning her head left and right to get a good look.

_They are like badges of awesome! And I have quite a few! … Oh, fuck, there ARE a lot._

"Be prepared for vacuum comments," Chloe teased. Max laughed as she headed toward the bed. "Uh, hey," Chloe sputtered as Max pulled the covers down. "I...er..." Max turned to face the punk, who was growing a lovely shade of red. "I wanted to give you something."

"Oh?" Max remarked inquisitively as Chloe searched through her pocket. Shyly, she brought out a shiny object and held it out to Max.

"I don't know if this is stupid or weird or...I don't know." She scowled when she noticed Max snickering behind her hand. "Shut up! You shut your sexy lips!" She huffed exasperatedly, letting the shining object slip from her hand, jerking upward when the string it was attached to grew taut.

"What is it? I can't really...oh my god..." Max said, breathless. Dangling from a thin black rope was a single bullet, swaying in the air gently. Chloe used her free hand to fish beneath her tank top, pulling her necklace out as another, identical bullet fell between her breasts. Max took it from her slowly, a mixture of confusion and happiness on her face. "Chloe, I don't...this is one of your bullets?" She asked, holding it up in front of her face.

"Yeah," the punk rubbed the back of her neck. "It might be stupid, sorry..." Max gave her a stern look, prompting a chuckle. "I just thought, today was the official end of this craziness, right? And even though a lot of bad shit happened, we'll always remember it, because it brought us back together. And...I thought this was like, a symbol of that."

"It's so, _so_ sweet, Chloe. But where's..." Max's eyes grew wide, a silver box flashing across her mind.

_Rachel._

"I put the third bullet in Rachel's box," Chloe said, stepping toward Max. "In a way, she brought us together again. And I know that if she were here, the three of us would be thick as thieves. I know I keep saying it, but she would have fucking loved you. So in a way..." She grabbed Max's hand. "The three of us will be together, forever. And, and..." Chloe began talking faster. "I know there's this weird thing, because I used to have feelings for her, but I don't want that to mess with you, so if that freaks you out, you don't need to take it, I won't be mad. It's just the gesture, I'm going for, you-"

Chloe's words were silenced as Max passionately kissed her, gripping Chloe by the waist tightly. The blue haired girl succumbed to the moment, returning the kiss until they both ended up on the bed. After a while, Max finally spoke, sweaty and nervous – a feeling she was growing quite fond of.

"This is the coolest thing ever," she said, holding the bullet between her fingers. "Such a small object says so, so much." She grinned stupidly, eying the punk. "You're quite the romantic."

"I do my best, I guess," Chloe shrugged indifferently before smiling. Max wriggled out from underneath Chloe, slowly wandering over to her desk. "Where'd you go!?" Chloe cried. "It's cold without skinny hipster skin next to me!"

"Just doing something long overdue," Max said, returning to Chloe with her camera in her hands. She set it down, putting the necklace around her neck. She sat on the bed, pulling on Chloe's arm so the punk would sit up. "First picture since we've been back..." Max said, holding the camera away from them. "Smile...or something," she said sarcastically.

"Or something?" Chloe asked, straightening her posture. Max nodded. "D'okay." She pulled her beanie off, running her hand through her hair.

"Picture in 3...2...1!" She grinned as wide as she could as she clicked the button. The camera stuttered, spitting out a Polaroid. Max turned to smile at the punk as she gently whipped the photo around, making the image clearer. Chloe simply returned the smile. Eagerly, she brought the photo to her face.

In the picture, Max's smile was bigger than she had ever imagined possible. Chloe's smile was nonexistent, however, because the devilish girl had used her countdown to plant a small, wonderful kiss on the photographer's cheek. Max hadn't even felt it! Both bullets were visible, Max's against her chest while Chloe's dangled in the air. Her photo collage appeared behind them, almost perfectly mimicking her Everyday Hero's submission, just at a closer angle. She smiled brightly.

"This one's a keeper," she said.


	9. Olive Branch

Max's eyes fluttered open, her lashes flicking across something as they moved. A light blue color encroached on her vision, moving outward from her nose. Somewhat startled, she clapped a hand to her face, hitting herself much too hard.

_The fuck?_

Her fingers traced the object, a thin piece of paper. Grunting, she ripped the Post-It note off of her forehead. Sleepily, she read:

_max,_

_had to bail – mom wanted 2 talk 2 me_

_couldn't wake u up, 2 cute 2 disturb_

_check journal_

_xoxo_

Though disappointed that hers was the only body in her bed, she grinned at the note. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

_Was kind of hoping for morning snuggles. Hmph._

From her bed, she grabbed her phone off of her makeshift nightstand. Yawning, she looked through her messages.

**Warren:** Maximus Prime!

**Warren:** We should totally hang out today after classes, feels like forever since I've seen you!

_Yeah, it does, Warren. Ugh...should I tell him about everything? That could cause some trouble... Either way, it would be nice to catch up with him._

She typed back, yawning once more.

**Max:** Totally! Let me know when you're free! :)

She scrunched her lips to the side, rehearsing in her mind.

_Hey Warren, I can time travel. No, I can't PROVE it because I'm not doing it anymore. Anyway, long story short, that's why I'm making out with Chloe and not you._

"We'll workshop it," Max said aloud. She scrolled to a new set of messages.

**Dad:** Hey kid, Pop here.

**Dad:** Give me a call when you're free. I miss your voice. Want to make sure everything's going okay after all that craziness.

**Dad:** Love ya.

Max's stomach churned a bit.

_Okay, I'll call him and just...casually mention that Chloe and I are dating. That should be fine, right? They're progressive. They'll get it. It's cool. It's cool._

"It's so cool, it's fine," Max continued out loud, flopping back onto the bed. Clicking through to her last unread message, she grew a huge smile.

**Chloe:** goooooood morning whenever you get this! love you, ya nerd

Sighing dreamily, she carefully grasped the bullet laying on her chest. Part of her still couldn't believe how everything had turned out. It wasn't pretty or easy, but things had shaken out to look pretty great. Finally slipping out of bed, she examined herself in the mirror.

_There are those zombie eyes. Return of the living dead!_

She struck a Thriller pose before shaking her head, chuckling.

_Maybe best to leave that to Dana._

Her eyes moved to the now dark purple marks on her neck. She smiled again.

_Dear lord, Chloe. Maybe she is a vampire!_

She snapped her fingers and pointed at her reflection, like 'you cracked the case, Maxine.' Something about the hickeys on her neck gave her a strange, powerful feeling. Like of all the things that had happened in the past week, these little purple splotches were _the_ symbol of the fact that she had kicked the shit out of destiny. That she wasn't just going to bow down to any cosmic sense of order. She earned these lovely, little bruises.

_Like I said, badges of awesome!_

In the mirror, she caught a glance of her journal open on her desk behind her. Curious, she decided to find out what Chloe had meant by 'check journal.' A big smile bloomed on her face as she began to read:

_October 13th*_ _October 14th_

_*Wrong fuckin date and this is permanent pen_

_Hellooooo Max Caulfield!_

_I just woke up with you in my arms and had to go through my 15 minute 'ohshitshitshit' mental marathon to remind myself that this is all real. You mentioned me writing and drawing last night, and it got me thinking...I should fuckin VANDALIZE my girlfriend's journal!_

_[cue evil laughter]_

_But it also made me think about how...we're bonded for life, obvs, but there is actually a bunch of stuff we need to catch up on. So I think we should go on a date tonight! You get ten tries to guess where!_

…

_Yeah, Two Whales, fuck you._

_But for serious, this will be hella fun! We can be like a real couple! I mean, we ARE a real couple, but you know what I mean. So Maxine, would you like to accompany me to a lovely night out at the uh...finest eatery in Arcadia Bay?_

_Y/N/MAYBZ – circle one, but do the one on the left_

_Anyway, sorry in advance if this is actually not cool of me to do. Just now kinda thought of that. And I swear I didn't read any previous entries! I'm going to bounce out without wakin you up cuz you're too cute, so hopefully this suffices instead of morning time makeouts!_

_I love you to death, Max. This whole experience has been hella fuckin strange but I wouldn't want to go through it with anyone else. You mean the world to me._

_WHEN DID YOU TURN ME INTO A BIG BALL OF MUSHY!? Hmph. Some punk I am. Aaaactually, I think I'll leave you a picture!_

…

_Okay, I took it and IMMEDIATE REGRET. Way overboard. I'm leaving it for you on the next page, please don't make fun of me. Ugh, what have you turned me into._

_Love forever_

_Chloe_

Max's face was actually starting to hurt from her gigantic grin, but it was a pain she was all too happy to experience. Turning the page, she found the photo, a small squeal escaping her lips.

The photo was of Chloe blowing a kiss, the camera being held out at optimal selfie length. Her blue eyes were enormous, her lips puckered in an adorably tiny way. She held her hand palm up below her chin, providing the kiss enough land to get off the ground.

"Chloe fucking Price!" Max shrieked, clutching the photo to her chest, rocking side to side. She inspected it again, feeling an insane desire to catch the kiss being blown at her. Sighing happily, she picked up the pen and circled the Y in Chloe's proposition.

_Looks like you're not the only mushball, Chlo. Fuck, is this really what love feels like? Those movies and songs didn't prepare me for this!_

Smirking to herself, she meandered back over to her bed where her Polaroid collage awaited. Spying a sufficient space somewhere in the middle, she attached Chloe's selfie next to the one they took the night before. She stood back, admiring her handiwork.

_She might kill me if she sees it up here but...totally worth it._

While surveying her work, her eyes wandered to a photo of her father she had taken. A small seize occurred in her stomach.

_Let's get this over with..._

* * *

She dialed her dad's number, hesitating a bit before pressing the 'call' button. As the phone rang, a million thoughts and strategies glided through her head, all of which disappeared when his voice sprang through the phone.

"Maxine?" Her father asked, an audible smile in his voice.

"Hey Pop, how's it going?" She fiddled with the end of her shirt with her free hand.

"Ah, same shit, different day. It's good. How are you doing? How's Chloe?" He asked. She sat on the bed, afraid her knees would buckle.

_Straight to the point, Pop. If only you knew..._

She took a moment to recollect all that her parents knew. Obviously, they had heard about Nathan and Jefferson and were stunned to find out the victim of the shooting was none other than her old pal Chloe Price. Max squinted, shifting her head from side to side.

"You there, kiddo?" His voice bled through.

"Yeah, sorry! Actually, just trying to figure out how to tell you this..." She furrowed her brow, knowing exactly how her voice sounded.

"Oh no, is everything okay?" Her father hesitated. "Er...as okay as it can be?" Without meaning to, Max laughed at the absurdity.

_Things are actually pretty much perfect! I've seen the other outcomes..._

"Yeah, yeah, everything's cool, Pop. Just wanted to let you know, I'm actually seeing someone..." She felt her voice trail off, her mind screaming at her for prolonging the inevitable.

"Oh?" He asked, amused. "Some boy I'm gonna have to give a stern talking to?" He chuckled a little.

"Well, no, not exactly..." She sighed a bit too dramatically for the situation. "It's Chloe. We're, uh, dating." She cringed, holding the phone away from her ear just barely. There were a few moments of silence.

"Chloe as in Chloe Price as in B-F-F Chloe?" He asked. She couldn't get a read on his tone.

"Yes. We've had a...crazy week, with her being shot and everything, but we picked right back up where we left off. Turns out we have some feelings for each other."

"Huh." He stated plainly.

"Huh? What does that mean?" She waved her hand around in annoyance. "Dad, I'm trying to figure out if you approve or not!"

"Wait, what? Why wouldn't I approve?" He seemed sincerely confused.

"Uh...because we are both girls? I dunno, not everyone is cool with that!" She bit her lip, now more flustered that she expected anything different from her father.

"Max, I am _the_ coolest dad," he laughed. "You know we raised you to understand that same sex relationships are perfectly natural. Why would I change my mind now?"

"I dunno," she whispered. "Anxiety, I guess." Her father's laughter boomed through the phone.

"All I care about is that you're happy! Plus, it gives me a head start on finding out every little detail about the..." He cleared his throat. "HORRIBLE PERSON CORRUPTING MY DAUGTER!" Max snickered at his awful attempt at savagery. "That's actually really cool that it's Chloe. Seems like destiny almost, huh?"

_Father of mine, you are treading awfully close to the truth here._

"Yeah," Max conceded. "Seems like it."

"Shit," he said, his attention snapping elsewhere. "I actually have a meeting in a few minutes. But we can talk more about this later, okay?"

"Okay," she said, breathing deeply. "Oh, wait!" She yelled. "Will you tell Mom for me? I can't have this conversation twice, my weak heart can't take it." Her dad laughed again.

"I'll tell her, but you know she'll say the same thing I did." There was a small pause. "So, I feel like I don't need to ask now, but how are you doing?"

"I'm...great, Pop. Best I've ever been." That was the actual truth.

"Good, sweetie. That's what I like to hear. We'll talk more later. Love you."

"Love you," she responded, smiling deviously as she ended the call.

Immediately, she bounced from her bed and moved to her laptop. After some clicking, she began typing on her phone.

**Max:** Thanks sooooo much for my present, baby! It made me smile like :D

**Chloe:** im glad you liked it because i think it took part of my soul

**Chloe:** and NO EMOJI!

**Max:** Well I've got a small present for you as well. Keep an eye on your phone.

Max shifted back to the laptop, clicking one final time. She stood there, holding her phone out, striking a sassy pose.

_3...2...1..._

**Chloe:** FACEBOOK OFFICIAL FUCK YES

**Chloe:** does this mean you told your folks?

**Max:** My dad, yeah. Super chill about it.

**Chloe:** yes this is fucking awesome!

**Chloe:** WHICH THING DID YOU CIRCLE FOR TONIGHT

Max giggled, taking a picture of the journal page with her phone.

**Chloe:** yessss im gonna date the fuck out of you, caulfield

**Max:** Never have I heard such romantic prose

**Chloe:** gonna date you so fuckin hard

**Max:** Stop being weird! Gotta go take a shower. TTYL? :*

**Chloe:** thats an emoji but ill let it slide since you gave me shower imagery

"Fuckin' perv," Max snorted, giggling as she tucked her phone away. She hummed to herself as she rearranged some things on her desk, her smile never leaving her. As she had her hand on the door, ready to head for the shower she sighed, shaking her head.

"I love that fuckin' perv."

* * *

Max was still humming as she left the bathroom, heading back down the hall to her dorm.

_What song is even stuck in my head? I can't place it..._

"Max Caulfield!" A voice excitedly burst from behind her. She stopped, her lips tugging up in a small smile.

"Hey Dana," she greeted before she was even fully turned around.

"You get your ass over here now!" The cheerleader pointed to the floor, her face stern. Max groaned sarcastically, dragging her feet to Dana's room.

"So I just saw something interesting pop up on my Facebook," Dana said once Max was in the room.

"Oh really?" The hipster prodded, acting oblivious. The cheerleader shook her head, a big smile on her face.

"Yes, really! So you two finally made it FB official, that's a big step." She hopped onto her bed, patting the space next to her for Max.

"Well, I just wanted to tell my parents first. Didn't want them to find out through my aunt because I'm friends with my cousin or anything," Max said, taking a seat.

"Oh." The taller girl thought for a moment. "And how'd that go?"

"It was fine, they're really cool about stuff so...I don't know why I was ever worried." She rubbed under one of her eyes as Dana eyed her curiously.

"So...this is kind of personal and I won't be upset if you don't want to talk about it, but have you always been...?" She trailed off.

"Been what?" Max asked.

"Er...I dunno, gay?" The cheerleader shrugged, puffing out her lips.

"Oh, I'm not gay..." Max said. Her face contorted in confusion. "Uh, actually, I'm not sure what I am." She looked at Dana with a bit of worry in her eyes. "Is that weird? Now I'm confused. I hadn't even thought about it..."

_What the hell...how has my actual orientation never crossed my mind?_

"Woah, woah, calm down," Dana said, placing a hand on Max's shoulder. "It's not weird. Like, okay...do you think boys are cute?" Max nodded. "And girls?"

"I've never thought of girls romantically before Chloe." Max shrugged. "It's just...with her, it doesn't really matter to me? She's just Chloe." Dana looked on, a playful look in her eyes.

"Well, to tell you the truth..." She began, leaning toward Max as if it were a secret. "I'm kind of starting to think all those labels are bullshit anyway." She pointed to Trevor's jacket in the corner of the room. "You can have preferences or whatever, like that's totally normal, but sometimes someone comes along and they're just...like the personification of love?" She recoiled a little, wooshing her head around a bit. "Jesus, I still sound stoned. I just mean like, you can like boys or girls for the most part but I believe that when you meet that special someone for you, none of that shit matters." She squinted, looking at Max. "I'm not really making sense, am I?"

"No, you are...for the most part," Max laughed. "This is pretty philosophical stuff, I guess. It sort of depends on where you stand on the concept of 'true love.'"

"Exactly!" Dana clapped, then pointed at Max. "I'm a grand romantic, and I believe in 'true love.' So I think you shouldn't worry about classifying yourself." She patted Max's knee.

"Then why did you even ask?" Max snickered, shaking her head. Dana shrugged innocently.

"Curiosity killed the Dana!" She grinned, sliding off her bed and getting in front of Max. "So, anyway...about these, uh, black holes on your neck."

_Badges, Dana._

"What about 'em?" Max beamed.

"You going to cover them up or show 'em off?" Dana rubbed her hands together.

_Normally this gossipy, in your business stuff puts me off but...Dana is so charming with it._

"I wasn't going to cover them," Max said. "Do you think I should?"

"Hell no! Wear that shit proudly, Max. Besides, deep down everyone secretly loves showing off their hickeys." She tilted her head up, revealing a small purple mark under her jaw.

"Oh dog," Max chuckled. "It's less appealing on other people, I have to admit." Dana cackled in response.

"Still, it's a nice club to be in," she winked. "And hey, last night really _was_ a ton of fun. I know the guys had a good time too. You and Chloe should hang out with us more." Max's heart fluttered.

_Yay! Friends!_

"That would be great, Dana. I hope I didn't embarrass myself smoking." Max rubbed at the back of her neck.

"It was hilarious! I love chill hangouts like that. No shitty drama..." She began to look annoyed.

"What's uh...going to happen with the whole Vortex Club thing?" Max asked.

"It's fucking dead, as it should be." Dana shook her head. "I don't know, are you referring to like Victoria and her crew? Who knows what they'll do. To be honest, I feel kind of bad for them."

"How so?" The hipster asked.

"Well, with Victoria in particular...Nathan was like her brother." She squinted, rocking her shoulders. "Maybe in a Game of Thrones-y way, but still. She and Nathan basically owned the school from a social standpoint. You know she was super comfy in that position, too. Then this happens and she's all alone while her little underlings run around like chickens with their heads cut off." She shrugged. "That's a pretty far fall from grace."

"Yeah...yikes," Max agreed. The gears in her head began to churn slowly.

_Ugh, I might regret this._

"Well, Dana, I'm going to go actually get dressed. It was nice talking, as always." Max snirked. "Thanks for the small existential crisis, by the way."

"Anytime!" Dana offered sarcastically. Then she blushed. "Actually, I am sorry. I had no business asking."

"Nah, it's cool, Dana. I look forward to more of these talks with you. Friends?" Max held her arms out, Dana instantly suctioning into them.

"Of course friends, you nerd! You better come to the Halloween party. Bring everyone!"

* * *

_Do I really want to do this? Shit..._

Max slowly knocked on the door, her nerve threatening to leave her. The door cracked open, one brown eye peeking through the crack. The girl behind the door made an audible sound of disgust before opening the door wider.

"What do you want, Max?" Victoria asked.

"Uh, hey, Victoria. I just...wanted to see how you were doing?" The brunette chewed her lip, shifting uncomfortably.

"Why?" Victoria responded, her eyes narrowing.

_Can't make this easy on me, can you? Christ._

"Because, Victoria, I think what went down last week is probably affecting you more than you're letting on. Look, I know how close you were with Nathan..."

"No, you don't," she said bitterly. Max sighed and carried on.

"And I know that you, just like I did, revered Jefferson. And neither of them turned out to be who we thought they were. It's been hurting me, and I know it has to be hurting you."

"Why are you being nice to me, Max? My best friend shot your girlfriend." Victoria nodded when Max grew confused. "Yeah, we're friends on Facebook. Why would you be nice to me?" Her lips drew taut, her grip on the door growing tighter.

"Because...why would I hold you accountable for what Nathan did? You didn't know what was going on." Max's eyes were pleading.

"I didn't!" Victoria nearly shouted, as if Max was implying the opposite.

"I know, Vic. I know." Max's hand found a spot on her other arm.

"If he just told me, if he let me in, I could have helped..." She pressed a palm to her forehead. "His **fucking** piece of shit dad just let him wither into a psychopath! I wanted to help him! I tried so fucking hard!" She sobbed, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"You're a good friend, Victoria. You tried your best...you're right, Sean Prescott is to blame here."

"Fucking...fuck," the blonde muttered, yanking the door open all the way. "Do you want to come in?" Her expression was familiarly mean but her voice betrayed it.

"Sure, Vic," Max said, hoping the nickname eased some tension.

Victoria hurried to her bed, plucking tissues out of their box on the way. She sat down, putting her head in her hands. Max took a seat on her couch.

"I just don't know what to think about fucking anything," Victoria said, blowing her nose. "It's totally cliché, that 'my whole life is a lie' shit but it fucking feels like it right now." She threw her head back, slamming a fist into her pillow. "I didn't know what they did to Kate! Those _fucking_ monsters!"

_Okay, Max, be tactful. Don't throw any blame her way._

"I know, but Kate is strong. She's doing really well right now," Max offered. "I'm sure...she'd be happy to talk to you about stuff." Max winced slightly, unsure of her advice.

"I seriously doubt that," the blonde declared. "I wouldn't want to look at me if I were her...fuck, Max, _I_ can't even look in the mirror."

"Victoria!" Max scolded, getting to her feet and startling the girl. "Look, I get it. This is serious shit and we all have to deal with it in our own ways. But I'm not going to let you feel like it's your fault." The brunette rolled her eyes. "Yes, you treated Kate like shit. But you didn't drug her and you certainly didn't kidnap her so you could fucking molest her with a camera."

_Whoops. So long, tact. Hello, emotional Max._

"Kate is so loving and forgiving, Vic. I think, if it'll make you feel better, you should talk to her." Max stood in front of the blonde. "I get that you feel betrayed and upset, I really, _really_ do. But the way to fight it is to find people who feel similarly and talk to them about it. I certainly don't blame you for Nathan's actions and neither does Chloe. I'm here to help you." Victoria sat in shock, staring at the brunette.

"I can't believe you just talked to me like that, you..." Her lips curled into a smile. "Bitch."

_Theeeere she is._

"Yeah well, get fucking used to it. Because as long as you're skulking about in a sunless room, blaming yourself for things you had no control over, I'm going to be here kicking your ass." Max flashed a victorious smirk. She let it dissipate before continuing. "Look, I know we weren't friends before all this, but I don't know _why_. We're very similar, which I'm sure just makes you sick to hear."

"No, no...you're right. I've actually always thought you were kind of cool. Just...you don't fucking care what anyone thinks and I'm so jealous of that." The blonde traced circles on her sheets.

"Dude, I am constantly worried about what people think! It's like ninety percent of my DNA." Max grinned again, flicking a finger between her and Victoria. "See, similar."

"You're kind of crazy, aren't you?" Victoria asked, amused. A familiar scene played out in Max's head, causing her to smile even bigger.

"Yep, yep, I'm fuckin' insane in the brain," Max growled. Victoria giggled.

_That girl is the best worst influence._

"Never knew you had _this_ ," the blonde waved her hand at Max, "in you."

"Well, stick around, Vic. Let's not be hostile assholes to each other and actually try to be friends?"

"Hm..." Victoria eyed the girl before shrugging indifferently. "Deal."

"Good!" Max beamed. "Now, I need to get to class. But we'll talk later, okay? To like, actually talk about this shit."

"Sure, Max," the blonde nodded. "Uh...thanks for that. I needed the kick in the ass."

"Anytime," the brunette smiled, turning to leave.

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind her, Max deflated, giving a deep sigh.

_Holy shit, where did that come from Max?_

She made a small amount of progress down the hall before leaning against the wall, feeling exhausted.

_I guess...I was talking to myself as much as I was talking to her. I mean, it's my fault she died in the other timeline, but...I didn't KNOW. The difference is I have a Chloe to pull me out of it, she doesn't._

Max giggled a little, the thought of her being the Chloe for someone else seeming too absurd to handle. With the blue haired devil on her mind, she pulled out her phone.

**Max:** So I had a discussion about my sexuality and also I think I'm friends with Victoria.

**Max:** How's YOUR day going?

**Chloe:** damn max its not even 10 your makin me feel lazy

**Chloe:** i mean ive just been sitting here thinking about the shower thing still

"Fuckin' perv!" Max squealed, laughing to herself in the hallway.


	10. David Shrugged

**Chloe:** i mean ive just been sitting here thinking about the shower thing still

Chloe chuckled as she sent the text, a cigarette hanging between her lips. It wasn't an entirely dishonest statement. Over the past two nights, Max had fallen asleep very quickly, presumably exhausted from the marathon through time she had ran. Chloe, on the other hand, stayed wide awake for a while afterward, clutching her little hipster as close as she could. Of course, it was warm and comfortable, but her mind did occasionally wander, being so close together.

_She's going to think I'm a total perv. Meh, she ain't wrong._

She reclined onto her bed, exhaling a new plume of smoke. She watched it twist above her, tangling into itself before dissipating. She scowled a little.

_Max is kind of a champ for putting up with my smoking. I should try and...not taste like an ashtray on our date tonight._

She grinned, a warm feeling blossoming in her chest.

_We're going on a date! What should I wear?...Did I seriously just think that? Come on, Price._

Stamping out her cigarette, she checked the time on her phone, mumbling when she saw how early it still was.

_Dammit, Max doesn't get done for a few hours then she wants to hang out with Warren..._

She snickered a little, feeling simultaneously bad for the guy but also _reeeeally_ staving off the desire to rub it in his _fuckin'_ face.

_You never stood a chance, dude. This shit was meant to be._

She had some reservations about Max telling him everything, but if the girl wanted to, she would encourage her. However, she thought this was the perfect opportunity to utilize Max's power. If he didn't take it well, she could rewind. She'd never suggest it, knowing how strongly Max felt about not using it anymore. Sighing, she decided to let it take its natural course.

_Not like me and Max haven't given a bigass middle finger to the 'natural' order, but hey._

She nibbled her lip, thinking. If she was being completely, one hundred percent honest with herself, part of her wasn't all that happy that Max was giving up her powers. She knew in her heart it was probably the right thing to do, because as Max had repeatedly said – they got lucky in a game where the odds were constantly and hopelessly stacked against them. But something about being able to upend the universe at your desire was _so_ enticing to her. She sighed.

_Max went through hell to get things how they are. It's not a toy, no matter how much you want it to be one._

Suddenly, a large growl came from her stomach. She clasped a hand to her abdomen, grazing against the bullet wound by accident.

"FUCKING..." She shouted, rolling onto her side. She pouted.

_Dammit, Max was right, I am being a baby about this. It's not even that bad anymore._

"Chloe?" David's unmistakable voice was joined by knocking. "Are you okay in there?"

_Argh, god dammit. David..._

Chloe was still very, _very_ unsure of how to feel about David. Until recently, as in, until she was shot, he had never given her much reason to like him. But Max had claimed that he saved her. Her safety was the most important thing in Chloe's universe, so for David to have come through on that...she owed him big time. But it was still hard to roll with his new found kindness.

"Yeah, sorry," she said, hesitating. "Uh...the door's open." David entered the room, his face lighting up when he saw her. That made her heart twist a little.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, taking a few steps into the room.

"M'okay," she whispered, glancing to the ash tray sitting next to her. He ignored it.

"I wish we had more painkillers for you, but the prescription's out...the doctor says you should use Tylenol now." He cleared his throat, his face contorting. "I'm so glad it wasn't worse."

"Me too," she forced a big smile. "What would you do without me?" She laughed. Chloe was something of a master at using humor to gain information. Sometimes it made her feel manipulative, but overall she felt it was a valuable skill.

"I...don't know, Chloe." He said, his face sinking. "I could never forgive myself." She scrunched her nose.

_Ah, yeah. That's why I feel like shit when I do that. Build bridges, don't burn them..._

"None of it was your fault," she said quietly. "You do know that right?" He ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply.

"It's hard for me to accept that when I had all the puzzle pieces."

"You're being too hard on yourself," she said. "You had the pieces for a puzzle that didn't make sense. No one person would know what to do with that." She brought her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Probably didn't even start with the border," she muttered with a small smirk. David grunted with a smile.

"Maybe that's where I went wrong," he said. He began slowly walking further into the room, his eyes scanning the homemade disaster. "My room looked like this when I was a kid, you know." Chloe eyed him curiously. At her expression, he chuckled. "Yeah, I was a terror for my parents." Then he frowned. "But they were always supportive...they never treated me poorly." Taking a deep breath, he wiped at his eye. "I guess I didn't inherit that from them."

_Who are you and what have you done with David!? What is HAPPENING?!_

"S'not like I made it any easier on you," she admitted, still tightly hugging her knees. He waved a dismissive hand.

"You're a damned teenager, Chloe. Your life has been...difficult. I should've been the bigger person. I'm supposed to be a parent and I retaliated like a soldier." He stretched his neck, scowling. "Excuses, excuses," he spit. Chloe felt herself blush at his vulnerability.

"Look, Atlas," the punk mocked halfheartedly. "You have to let me take some of the blame for this stuff, I'm trying _really_ hard to fix my shit. You wanna be a good parent? Don't let me off the hook. I was a total brat." She recoiled at her own words.

_What are you saying, dude!? Where is this coming from?_

David approached the bed, sitting down on the side. Chloe tensed up, being so close to his surveillance. He placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling warmly.

"Sorry, Chloe, but not this time. I'm just happy you're here." He grinned, his mustache bobbing on his lip. "Give it a month or...hell, maybe a year, and I'll get pissed at you again. But for now I'm just thanking the heavens that you're here." Chloe stayed in her position, conflicted that his touch felt warm and...fatherly. He furrowed his brow, coughing. "So, uh...your mother told me something." Chloe cringed, imagining his hand turning to ice on her shoulder.

_Well, fuck. I guess this was nice while it lasted. I'm sure he's not cool with this. Why do I care? I didn't care before. Fucking..._

"Yeah?" She asked, hesitant. "What's that?"

"You and Max are...an item?" He asked, as if his information was correct. Chloe nodded slowly.

"Is that, uh, cool with you?"

_Why do I fucking care so much that it's alright with him?_

"Are you happy?" It was a simple question.

"More than you could imagine," she said, blushing a little.

"Then I'm cool with it," he said, patting her shoulder before removing his hand. She glanced at it as it moved away, a small longing for it to return.

"I just didn't think...I dunno, you were down to clown with 'the gays'." She tried to sound silly, diffusing the tension that was only hers.

"Let me tell you, something..." He said, moving the ash tray and bringing one leg underneath him. "My best friend in the whole world was gay. He and I were the perfect team and his orientation never once affected how I felt about him. In fact," David grinned, a faraway look in his eyes. "He helped me with the ladies quite a bit. He was the best wingman ever."

"Gross," Chloe laughed, scrunching her nose. He shrugged, smiling.

"We grew up together," he continued. "I was the first person he told, you know? It just seemed so natural and...I mean, it was who he was. And he was my buddy. It wasn't until a bit later that I really found out how frowned upon it was." He breathed, shaking his head with a goofy smile. "Got into quite a few fistfights."

Chloe had never felt this close with David before. Actually, she had never even felt neutral about him before, and now here they were...bonding?

_Goddamn butterfly wings..._ she thought, grinning to herself.

David was quiet while Chloe thought over his small story, perhaps the only time he actually shared something from his life with her. Something about it sounded off, though. She frowned.

"You, uh...keep saying _was_ , David." She arched an eyebrow. David cleared his throat.

"Yeah, we uh, went into the service together. Kicked a lot of ass. Like I said, we were a great team." He ended the sentence, as if that's where the story stopped. She knew he was comfortable leaving it where it was, but a small desire twitched in her brain, forcing the issue.

"What happened?" She asked, pretty sure of where it was going.

"He never made it home," he said, his expression falling to shadows. He grunted, wiping at a single tear. "I wasn't even there when it happened. I think that's what hurts the most." Chloe stared at him for a moment, speechless. Small electrical pulses began whirring through her body, bringing her arms to movement. Without thinking, without even comprehending what was going on, she found herself hugging the man. He returned it, gripping her tightly.

_David... Shit. You earned this hug, big guy. I know what it's like to lose a close friend._

"Max being there for you when it happened..." He whispered. "In some weird, fucked up way, it feels like...balance." They were quiet after that, the hug lasting a bit longer before they broke it. They stared at each other, sad eyes finding small smiles on each others' faces. Finally, Chloe let out one sharp laugh, running a hand through her hair.

"Look at us," she said, holding her arms out wide. "Bonding and hugging and shit! I'm so proud of us!"

_Getting shot has literally been the best thing I've ever done... Huh._

"Look at us," he repeated, smiling. He patted her on the back, the rush of parental care shooting straight to her heart. He stood up, stretching a bit. "You look pretty tired," he teased. The punk pouted facetiously.

"Hey man, I've had a long fucking couple of days."

"Well that's something we can agree on," he said. "How about you take a nap? I sure as hell could use one. But..." He gestured to the door. "Blackwell calls. What are your plans for the night?"

"Oooh!" Chloe hopped in her bed excitedly. "I'm taking Max out on a date! First official one!" She giggled at herself internally, unbelieving that she was talking about this with David.

"That's exciting," he nodded. "I'm glad you're happy." He waved awkwardly, before moving toward the door. "Oh, and uh..." He said, turning back around. "I guess we don't have to worry about any babies anytime soon, so there's that." He flashed a smile before leaving.

"Dick!" Chloe yelled after him, a big smile on her face. She flopped onto her back, her mind whirling.

_Well, that was a surprise. Me and David, buds...who would have thought?_

Since it would be hours until Chloe could see her girlfriend, she decided to take David's advice. Her eyes closed, a sense of calm washing over her.

* * *

David pointed the gun at Jefferson with tears in his eyes. He pulled the trigger, the bang stabbing through Chloe's head, startling her awake.

"Fuck!"

She sat up, breathing heavily, sweat building on her skin. She scanned the room, the familiarity of it calming her down. Shutting her eyes, she focused on bringing her breathing back to normal.

_Was that another Max time-dream? Fuck..._

She sat in bed, wiping at her brow with her arm. Her mind ran through what she had just seen...

_It started with Max and David talking about everything in the Dark Room..._

_Then David asked Max where I was...she told him the truth..._

_And...and he killed Jefferson. Because of me. Is that what she meant when she said she knew what losing me would do to him?_

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, her mind split between thinking it was 'badass' while the other side considered the consequences David would face had it actually gone down that way. Her stomach churned nervously as she thought of the dreams. When she had dreamt about Kate up on the roof, it was a new and, admittedly, exciting view into Max's life during their week of hell. Afterward, she actually felt a little eager to experience more of these visions as she believed it brought her and Max closer. And in her mind, it was 'cool time shit.'

However, this time it felt...too real. The dream had begun after David's rescue, as Jefferson was already on the floor unconscious, but just seeing the room again and _knowing_ that Max had been held captive there made her stomach feel like a washing machine. She shivered, pulling her covers around her. It was a strange feeling of anger and worry that washed over her, accompanied by a silliness that she could do nothing about it.

_David really killed him. He was so broken up. Jeffershit deserved it. Fucking psycho._

She pulled the covers over her head, feeling more comfortable in her little fort. She reached for her phone, before hesitating.

_Should I tell Max? No...she doesn't need that right now. What if it makes her nose bleed? What causes those damn nose bleeds?_

She rushed her fingers through her hair, scratching at her scalp. This was something that Chloe no longer wanted to happen to her, but she quietly resigned herself to the idea that it might continue. A deep dread sank into her mind, envisioning the Dark Room _before_ David arrived to save Max. She began to cry.

_I don't want this. I don't want to see that._

She spent a while under her covers breathing evenly, willing away the anxiety creeping through her spine. It wasn't until she heard the door close downstairs that she felt safe to exit her cocoon. Shaking and still somewhat disoriented, she made her way down the steps where Joyce was shuffling through the kitchen.

"Hey...hey, Mom," Chloe spoke softly, causing Joyce to whirl around in panic.

"Chloe! You scared the daylights out of me!" She pressed a hand to her chest. She took on a worried look. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

_Several..._

"I'm okay, just had a bad dream," Chloe said, moving toward Joyce and bringing her into a hug. She could tell Joyce was going to say something snarky, but instead closed her eyes and returned the gesture. "How was work?" She asked, feeling significantly better now that she was with her mother.

"Same old, same old," Joyce droned. "It's going to get a little crazier though. One of the gals just up and quit today," she gently pulled out of Chloe's hug before taking a seat at the dining room table. "She did a lot of the morning shifts, so looks like I'll be picking up some extra hours." She rolled her eyes. "No rest for the wicked, I guess."

"You think you're wicked?" Chloe barked in laughter, feeling herself return to normal. "No offense, Mom, but you're about as good as they come." Joyce looked at her, an 'are you serious' look on her face.

"No offense, but you're a good person? What on Earth goes on in that blue head of yours, child?" She snickered. Chloe 'hmm'd' as she took a seat opposite her mother.

"Yeah, that didn't come out right." She drummed her fingers on the table. "Wait, who quit? It wasn't Claudia was it?" She asked. Her mother nodded. "Nooo!" She wailed, slapping a hand against her face. "But she always gave me extra bacon!"

" _I_ give you extra bacon too!" Joyce smiled as she nudged Chloe's arm. She sighed. "I hope they find someone else soon. I really don't want to have to put in more morning hours." Chloe leaned in, resting her chin on her hands.

_Damn, Claudia was badass. I hope whoever they get to replace her is cool...Shit, maybe I should do it._

She smirked to herself.

_Making hella bank serving food in the morning while Max is in class. Then I could take her out to more dates! I could use the money. No more borrowing from people._

An image of Frank glanced across her mind, her stomach tightening. Max told her that she had killed him in self defense, but now the thought of seeing it made her feel uneasy.

_Max is right about no more time travel. If it's fucking with me this much, I can only imagine how bad it is on her. She fucking bleeds just thinking about it!_

Joyce began reading the paper, humming to herself as she did. Chloe's mind returned to the Two Whales.

_Yeah, right. Like they'd hire me anyway. And it's not like I actually want a job. That's_ so _not my style. Kind of a dumb idea, there, Chloe._

"Hey, Mom," Chloe said, raising an eyebrow.

_Wait, what? Stop, mouth._

"Hm?" Joyce responded, not taking her eyes off the paper.

"The Two Whales needs a new Claudia, right?" The punk reached for Joyce's hand. Her mother looked up, bewildered. "What's your policy on blue hair?"


	11. Wibbly Wobbly

Max's first (actual) day of classes since Kate tried to kill herself weren't as refreshing as she was hoping. In retrospect, she should have expected it, but sitting in class all she could think was 'what's the point?' In her mind, she had experienced something so incredible and devastating in the past week that her classes just seemed...trivial. It didn't help that the class she had come back to Blackwell for was canceled for the time being. Though that was certainly understandable.

She glanced at her phone, hoping to see a text message from Chloe. She sighed when the screen only showed her clock. There was an upside to her day, though. She was able to reconnect with some of her classmates. She spoke with Daniel, Stella and even managed to snag a positive interaction with Taylor. Though she felt it wasn't all _that_ great, having relied on information about her mother to fuel the conversation.

_You're still using your rewind, just in a different way._

Still, she was happy to rekindle her friendships, even if the spark was from another timeline. Interestingly, Daniel had asked if Max wanted to pose for a sketch for him. She accepted, though she told him she didn't have time to do it at that moment. She wondered if the sketch would be the same or if one pencil stroke would be off by just a hair. Maybe it would be entirely different. How tangled could the web of time really get?

Again she imagined the slide puzzle of possibilities in her mind; one piece moving right so all the others had to shift position while more and more pieces were added. She couldn't grasp what the overall image was meant to be, as a new variation appeared every second, simply causing more chaos. Thinking about it too much made her head begin to hurt, so she willed it away, a scowl on her face as she did so.

_So many possibilities. Infinite possibilities, I guess._

Dragging her feet through the hallway, headphones in her ears, she surveyed the Blackwell hall. The calamity of high school, something she loathed only a week...or really, two Max Weeks ago, was comforting. It was an _expected_ chaos, something that felt incredibly dull yet needed in the wake of time travel gambling. She thought of that – how she would leap through a photo basically crossing her fingers, hoping that whatever she did would magically have the outcome she desired. It made her feel...kind of stupid. And incredibly naive.

" _ **Most models are cynical. They lose that...naivete."**_

_Fucking psycho._

She began to rummage through her locker, choosing to focus on the music marching through her head rather than Jefferson. It was typical Max music, a soft tune from some small band Said the Whale. She closed the locker, jumping a little when she found Ms. Grant standing next to her with her arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her face. Max quickly pulled the headphones from her ears.

"You scared me, Ms. Grant!" She waved a hand toward her face, wearing an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, sorry," she chuckled, holding her hands out defensively. "I just couldn't help but notice your fashion statement." Max cocked her head to the side, confused. Ms. Grant cleared her throat, nodding at Max's neck.

"Oh!" She reddened immediately. "I uh, I had to uh...vacuum cleaner?" She offered, shrugging, resigning herself to her fate.

_Face the music, Max._

"I'm not here to lecture, Max," Ms. Grant said. "Maybe this is...inappropriate for a teacher to say to a student, but it sort of makes me happy to see that you have someone in your life willing to..." She gestured to her neck. "Do _that._ I was worried you were going to remain locked up in your head, not interacting with anyone."

_I feel like this...should be an awkward conversation, but Ms. Grant is so damn cool._

"Yeah," Max blushed. "I uh, got pretty lucky."

"To be young again," Ms. Grant said in a singsong voice, gyrating her body whimsically. "Things have been difficult here lately. It makes an old fart like me feel good to see her students carrying on as best they can." She got serious for a moment. "How are you holding up, Max?"

"I'm...okay, Ms. Grant. It's just kind of difficult to wrap my head around." Honesty without being _too_ honest.

"Well, I'm always here if you need to talk," she said, glancing over Max's shoulder. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, okay? Now, if you'll excuse me..." She bounced around Max, heading over to a couple making out in the corner, waving her arms. Max chuckled, shaking her head.

_Ms. Grant seems like an adult I can go to...then again, I thought that about..._

Max turned, her breathing catching in her lungs. She stared at the door to the art room, feeling a threatening presence creep up through her mind.

_It's just a room, it's just a room, it's just a room._

Her vision twisted, imagining shadows and camera flashes dancing behind the fogged glass of the door. Her breathing quickened as she clutched her chest, feeling a familiar pressure in her head. Her phone sounded its alert, snapping her back to reality. Tearing her eyes from the door, she began walking down the hallway, pulling her phone out to examine the text.

**Warren:** Maaaaaxx you free to hang? Just chilling in my room.

Max smiled, grateful for Warren's usual perfect timing. She tapped back, glancing up occasionally to make sure she didn't run into anyone.

**Max:** Yes! Omw to you now.

"Hey, uh, your nose is bleeding!" Someone called after her as she quickly left the building.

* * *

Max knocked on Warren's door, examining the slate next to it. It was a poorly drawn portrait of Bill Nye, a disembodied head floating on a polka dot bowtie. Underneath was scribbled in big letters 'Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!' Max chuckled to herself.

_What a total dork._

The door opened, Warren smiling brightly. Max hadn't noticed at Rachel's service just how odd it was to see his face completely devoid of any bruises. She returned the smile.

"Max!" He said, holding his arms out. Max's mind went into bullet time, her thoughts processing that he was in fact going for a hug. In quick reflection, she felt sort of bad about all the times she mindlessly ignored his advances, friendly or otherwise.

_You get one this time, Warren._

She embraced him, feeling quite relieved when she noticed how chaste he was keeping it.

"How've you been, dude? Feels like forever," he said, pulling away from the hug. He glanced behind him, rubbing the back of his neck. "My room's kind of a mess, sorry."

"Don't worry, mine looks like a bomb blew up in it," she responded. "You'll get no judgment from me." He moved to the side, allowing her entrance. She glanced around the room, crossing her arms and nodding. "Not bad, Warren."

"That sounds like sarcasm," he laughed, brushing several energy drink cans into the trash.

"No, it's totally cool," she said, trying to prove her sincerity. "It's very _Warren_." She noticed the video games hooked up to a relatively small tube television, grinning to herself.

_It feels like forever since I've even touched a video game. I should school his ass sometime._

"So," he said, moving his laptop from the couch to a small coffee table, "how have you been, for reals? You totally vanished after all that crazy shit went down with Nathan." He looked a touch concerned. Max took a seat next to him on the couch, facing him.

"Yeah, it kind of got away from me," she blushed, assessing how much of this conversation was going to be truth. "The girl he shot was my old best friend from five years ago. I've been with her mostly since that happened..."

"I see that," he had a small smile. "Pretty big news on your F-B this morning." Max internally facepalmed.

_Of course he saw that._

"Sorry," she said. "I would have told you before but..."

"Hey," he held his hands up, "it's cool. Just because _I_ waited to say anything to people before I told you my cool news, doesn't mean you had to." He shrugged indifferently, a playful smile on his face.

"Your cool news?" Max asked, an eyebrow arched. "And what's that?"

"Brooke asked ME out!" He exclaimed with a giant grin. Max brought a hand to her mouth, snickering innocently behind it. "What's so funny about that?" He asked, pouting.

_Oh man, this is too perfect._

"Nothing's funny!" She waved her hands at him dismissively. "You two make a good pair."

"Yeah," he ran a hand through his hair, "she told me after...Chloe?" He asked, double checking her name. Max nodded her head. "After Chloe was shot, she thought about how life's too short to just wait for what you want and that you have to go out and get it." He blushed a little. "I didn't even know she liked me like _that_!"

_Chloe Price, time traveling matchmaker. Un-fucking-real._

"It was sort of obvious," she smiled, nudging him with her elbow.

"Psht, whatever," he nudged back. "I'm just not used to..." He furrowed his brow, as if struggling for thought. "Girls..."

"Girls doing what?" The brunette asked.

"Just girls." He admitted, shrugging. This prompted another small laugh from Max. Her attention turned to the laptop.

"So," she said. "What're we watching?" She slid her shoes off, sitting criss-cross, feeling too tired to care at all about the usual anxiety of keeping shoes on in another person's home.

"Uh, Mean Girls, actually." He shrugged again. "I know some people think it's like a chick flick but I think it's funny."

"Oh psht, it's a classic for all races, genders and creeds," Max snirked. "And it doubles as a Blackwell documentary!"

"Yeah, no joke," Warren scoffed. "Aside from the creepy, rapist teacher and murder." Max made a thoughtful 'hmm' noise. "Do you want me to start it over or...?"

"Nah, that's cool, I don't know how long I can stay anyway. I have a date tonight!" She wriggled her fingers on the word 'date.'

"Well, la-di-da," he mocked. She playfully pushed his shoulder.

_Weird. I guess in this timeline Warren didn't grow quite as attached to me...I guess that makes sense. And god knows Brooke is all about that nerdy booty._

He pressed the space bar on the laptop, kicking the movie back into play. They sat in relative silence for a while, with Warren chuckling loudly obnoxiously every so often. She found the movie funny, but admittedly had seen it so many times that it no longer produced any audible reactions.

"So, this is nice," he said after a bit. "Good to finally hang out with you after all this bullshit whacko craziness."

"Agreed." She smiled cheerily. "And look at us, both not single and living life."

_You never really appreciate how hard that second part is until it's too late._

He reclined a bit, resting his elbows on the top of the couch behind him. "Never thought I'd get a girlfriend," he mused aloud, causing Max to roll her eyes.

"You're so dramatic," she teased.

"I'm serious, Max! I feel like it's going to start snowing! It's like the apocalypse," he broke out a goofy smile, though it was quickly erased when he saw Max's expression. "You okay?" He asked, concerned.

She had managed to stuff the notion of explaining everything to Warren to the back of her head, instead just relishing the opportunity for normalcy. But that specific mention of snow caused her mind to whirl.

_Let's do this...tactfully..._

"Warren," she began. "What do you think of time travel?" The boy's eyes lit up as he slammed on the space bar, pausing the movie.

"Time travel is crazy awesome! I have a bunch of movies about it if you want to check them out sometime!" He grew confused. "Wait, that was really random. Where did that come from?"

"Uh..." Max stalled, her eyes scanning the room. "Just curious, you know. Do you think it's actually possible?"

"Mmn," he tapped his index on his chin. "I don't really see how, at least not from a technological standpoint. Scientifically, probably not."

"Well, what's the alternative?" She asked, exhaling slowly.

"Well, mysticism I guess, but that's the land of...un-science. A land I dare not tread!" He grinned again. "That's artsy territory, I just put the numbers together."

"So you don't believe in like, time machines or anything like that?"

"Well, I believe you can build something and call it a time machine but it probably won't work. Plus, Stephen Hawking did that time traveler party thing." He fiddled with a piece of lint on his shirt. "Ain't nobody came to that party."

"Okaaaay, well let's assume someone doesn't use a device to time travel, but it's a power they've gained, but it has limitations and rules."

"Like a superhero?" He asked. Max shrugged, then nodded. "Sounds kind of O.P."

_Not nearly as much as you'd think._

"Would it be, though? I mean there'd have to be some negatives to it...time travel is dangerous, right?"

Asking questions that she knew the answers to felt oddly like confronting her parents when she knew she did something wrong. She was simply buttering him up to drop the bomb.

"Yeah, you could totally screw everything up," he said casually. "Where's this coming from? I didn't know you were nerdy into timey-wimey stuff." Max sighed, sinking deeper into the couch.

"Can I tell you something, Warren? Just between you and me. I'm serious." Her voice was far away as she stared at the wall opposite her.

"Don't insult me," he said warmly, the words making Max smirk. He turned in his seat so he could face her.

"This is going to sound...completely insane," she said, already thinking about how to play it off as a joke if it didn't go well.

"That sounds about right, these days," he admitted. Max sighed deeply before beginning.

"I...can rewind time. Like for real." The words tasted strangely metallic in her mouth. Or maybe that was just the blood from earlier. Warren chuckled and nodded his head, acknowledging the joke. His expression shifted when he saw how hers didn't.

"Uh, what do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean I can manipulate time backwards...and also travel through photos to different events in my life." As soon as the last word left her mouth, she began cackling maniacally, slapping a hand on her face. "God, saying it out loud is always so fucking weird."

"You kinda sound like you're high..." He said slowly and carefully, his brows knitting together.

"That's what Chloe said," she laughed, shaking her head. "I was able to convince her by predicting the future and telling her what was in her pockets but...I'm not doing it anymore." She sighed, a crazed smile on her face. "I've been through a lot."

"Okay, so..." Warren blew air through his lips. "I can't tell if you're fucking with me, seriously. You have to be but...your acting is on point."

_Think, think...how can I convince him without using my powers?_

"Well, I can't give you a grandiose example, but...I know for a fact that you were thinking of asking me to go see Planet of the Apes at the drive-in." She shrugged her shoulders, smiling innocently. Warren turned red.

"Er...yeah, I was..." He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. "No, okay...I guess that's weird, but _time travel_? Come on, Max."

"I said no because...well, I was obviously dealing with a lot of shit. But I know that you planned on asking Brooke as your backup. Which is a little shitty, might I add," she pointed at him, still wearing a smile to let him know she was mostly teasing. "But the great twist here is that Brooke is like, uber-crazy into you. She was super salty when you asked me." Warren shuddered again, glancing at Max with a gaze full of...fright?

"Uh...o-okay. Anything...else?" He was sinking into his side of the couch. Max reached a hand toward him and she noticed he winced.

"Warren, are you okay? What's wrong?"

_Something isn't right, here..._

"Yeah, yeah, fine...just...what else?" He pursed his lips, his eyes full of anxiety.

"Well, you beat the shit out of Nathan Prescott...to protect me." She tried reaching for him again, but he sprang up from the couch, holding himself as if freezing. "What is it?" She asked, beginning to feel nervous. "Warren?"

He paced around the room briefly before stopping and looking at her. She couldn't quite read his emotions.

_What is it now?_

"All three times you mentioned something I...did," he used air quotes, "I felt this really weird shiver in my body and like...a giant strobe light going off in my head." His eyes lit up with different emotions, mostly fear from what Max could see. Finally, he sat back down, the gears in his head spinning in overdrive. "Tell me everything, Max."

So she recalled her tired, timeless tale, one that starts off ever so jauntily and quickly unravels into tragedy. Warren remained quiet, watching her intensely even in moments where she let a small silence fill the room. He offered none of the conventional 'I'm listening' quirks like nodding or affirmation noises, instead staying deadly silent. She began to regret her decision to bring it up, seeing him contort uncomfortably whenever his name appeared in her story. Judging by his reaction, she would no longer be able to play it off as a joke either. A small dread wriggled into her mind.

She included only what she thought would be important for his understanding, leaving out many of the more intimate moments with Chloe and glossing over the Dark Room in a stuttering mess. She stressed the concept of photo-hopping, the butterfly effect in motion. All the while, a slow storm built in her head, a small tornado tearing up her thoughts. She winced when explaining the day of the storm, pressing a palm into her temple. This brought Warren to life.

"Hey," he said, leaning toward her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I don't _know_ ," she whispered, finally releasing a few tears. "This is actually why I wanted to talk to you about this so badly..." She stretched her neck. "I know you're just a teenager like me and we're in high school...you don't have a degree or anything, but you're the only one who knows anything about this stuff that I can trust." He gave her a smile when she said that. "Everything's...okay now, but I'm having this horrible anxiety about everything and my nose bleeds if it gets too bad. And then Chloe started to see my memories in her dreams and...now you're reacting weird."

"Max," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "I have...no fucking answer for this."

_Oh._

"Oh." She said.

_FUCK._

"Fuck..." She added.

"Hey, hey." He moved closer as she buried her face in her hands. "This is just...a lot to get at once, you know? I didn't even think it was possible and it's just..."

"You do believe me, though?" She brought her knees to her chin.

"I mean, the logical side of my brain isn't quite on board but I trust you, Max. And there's no denying the weird feeling I get when you mention things the 'other me' did." He reclined into the couch. "Fucking time travel. Parallel universe...what the hell." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I almost feel bad. You come to me with all this and...I mean, I just watch and read a lot of fiction based on it. I guess I'm kind of a poser."

"It's okay..." Max sunk into herself. "It's unreasonable to expect you to explain any of this. I was just hoping..."

"Okay," he said, straightening his posture. "Humor my poserness for a second." Max offered him a forced smile. "If infinite timelines and the multiverse exists, then they just kind of...happen behind the scenes of what we know. The average human isn't built to experience that kind of thing. It's kind of like, the idea of losing your mind if you see an angel in its true form or something. Total Scanners head explosion stuff."

"You think my head's going to explode?" Max asked, snickering. "Thanks."

"No, I just mean it's an incomprehensible concept!" He giggled too before growing concerned. "This is serious stuff, Max. How does someone process that they've been in several different realities?"

"Or creating them..." She said, shaking her head. "I just don't know what this means for anything. The entire concept of life as I know it has been altered. I don't know how to just...carry on. And the nosebleeds are...concerning. What if I have like a time aneurysm?"

"I don't know. I really don't. But, you have Chloe and me and Kate and everyone, we'll be here for you." He thought for a moment. "I promise I'll do a bunch of research to try and help. I mean, it's all theoretical, but it sounds like some of it is based in fact..."

"Yeah," she said. "I tried to do my own research and...sometimes it seemed like some of these people knew _too_ much about it, you know? Maybe someone else has experienced this before?"

"That _sounds_ crazy. And _you_ sound crazy. But what the fuck do I know anymore? I'm completely on board so I must be too." He sighed exasperatedly. "Bunch of fucking crazy people. And Chloe can...obviously corroborate your story? She went back in time _with_ you?"

"Yeah," Max said, nodding. Then she chuckled. "So basically it's her fault Brooke asked you out." Warren looked at her for a moment, the thought ricocheting through his brain.

"Niiiice." He grinned. "Well, tell her thanks for me, I guess. Are you...uh, going to tell anyone else?"

"Oh god no!" Max huffed. "I was barely going to tell you and then when I did it gave you like, brain zaps! Nope, this is just between you, me and Chloe. Seriously, Warren, don't tell anyone. Not Brooke, nobody." Her eyes were pleading.

"Dude, I won't! And do you think they'd believe me, anyway!? This has 'Bill Murray Story' written all over it!" He grew hesitant. "But...the nosebleeds, if they get bad or you actually get sick...Chloe and me will have to do _something,_ okay? What, I have no idea, but probably something."

"That's fair," she conceded. Her phone beeped from next to her, startling her briefly.

**Chloe:** lol dude i have the dumbest shit to tell you on our date

**Chloe:** are you almost done hanging out with wallace

Max giggled, flashing the screen in Warren's face. He tried to conjure an annoyed expression, but the weight of the last hour or so had sapped most of his sarcasm.

"I think that means I should go get ready or something." She smiled, then grimaced. "Hey, I'm...sorry. I really didn't know it would do that to you. It didn't do that to Chloe...even in the other timelines when I explained something she did."

"Well, it kind of sounds like you...I dunno, _broke_ some stuff when Chloe went back with you. Like I imagine this ancient time deity bestowing these powers unto you and now he's like 'well you done fucked it all up now!'"

"Whyyy does the time deity have a broken, Southern drawl?" She asked, an eyebrow raised. He simply shrugged in return. "And if that's the case, whatever, fuck him. I didn't _break_ anything, I fucking _fixed_ it."

"I agree with you!" He said. "I'm just saying, look at it from his...hypothetical point of view." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And seriously, don't sweat the brain zaps. I'm honored you trust me enough to tell me about this, even if I'm a total poser who knows fuck-all."

"Thanks, Warren. You rock." She put her shoes back on and stood up, swinging her arms from side to side to stretch. "I guess I should head out...sorry to, I dunno, drop this in your lap and bail. We'll talk about it more soon."

"I hope so," he said, wrapping her in a hug. "And you're not doing it anymore, right? I know you did what had to be done and I'm proud of you, but I definitely think...let's not shatter the universe, okay?"

"Deal," she said, turning to leave.

"Oh, and, Max?" He asked after her. "I was going to make a joke about this sooner but...I think Chloe might be a vampire."

"Dude, that's what I said," she said, laughing as she left.

* * *

The hall of Max's dorm was surprisingly empty, save for one very flustered Victoria Chase pacing in circles in front of Kate's door.

"Uh...Victoria?" Max called, approaching the blonde.

"Oh Jesus Christ, thank god you're here." She waved her hand about frustratedly. "I've been standing out here for like fifteen fucking minutes trying to work up the balls to knock on her door." She grasped Max's bicep frantically. "Your stupid speech earlier motivated me to try and talk to her but I haven't had the chance and now she's playing violin." She squinted. "Maybe we should just let her be. Probably, right? I mean, she's probably in the zone. I wouldn't want to distract her."

"I have never seen you so nervous before," Max giggled.

"Oh shut the fuck up!" She hissed, winding up to continue her insults. Her tirade was cut short as the door in front of them opened just barely. Two big, shy eyes peeked out from Kate's (thankfully well lit) room.

"Max?" She asked, confused. She opened the door further to see Victoria which only served to further her confusion. "And...Victoria?" Her eyes narrowed when she saw Victoria's grip on Max's arm. "What's going on?" Her voice contained no small amount of bite.

_This is a total misunderstanding...but I'm so glad to see that you're willing and ready to go Kung Fu on bullies._

"It's okay, Kate!" Max assured. "Victoria and I were wondering if...you were willing to talk for a bit?"

_Oh, is this what we're doing now? We're going to mediate this? Okay, Max. Good job._

"Mm...sure," Kate's tiny voice showed some uncertainty. "Do you want to come in?" Victoria shot Max a look, causing the brunette to roll her eyes. "We'd love to."

_Chloe and Frank yesterday, Kate and Victoria today. Tomorrow? Stay tuned!_

Once in the room, Max hugged Kate quickly before gliding over to Alice, lazily resting in her habitat.

"Aw, hello Alice," Max cooed, poking one finger through the slot in the cage. "How is the bun bun doing?"

"Oooh, I'm good, Max! How are you?" Kate said in a high pitched voice before blushing and chuckling. Max turned to give her a 'look' but her eyes settled on a very uncomfortable Victoria. She nodded toward the girl, a 'go ahead' prompt.

"You're, uh..." Victoria stammered. "Your playing is beautiful." She gestured toward the violin. "How long have you been playing?" She clenched her fists. "Ugh, no, that's stupid." She threw her hands up. "Not your playing! That really is beautiful! Just..." She sighed, letting out a small laugh. "I'm trying to apologize but I have no idea how to do it."

Kate eyed her suspiciously, then smiled. That beautiful, patented Kate Marsh smile that actually tricks your brain into thinking 'everything will be okay.'

"I forgive you, Victoria," she said before turning and drifting over to her desk. Victoria stood, mouth open.

"Wait, just like that? Kate, I'm serious! I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know everything that was going on and..."

"It's okay!" Kate said, holding up a hand. "Seriously. I'm a big believer in forgiveness. And just the fact that you came to apologize means a lot to me." Max had taken a seat on Kate's bed, content to watch the scene play out before her. "I know you didn't know about Nathan." Kate mustered his name with less poison than it truly deserved. "And even though you _were_ a big bully, I understand that we're all just teenagers and it just kind of..." She shrugged. "Happens."

"No, but...no, no!" Victoria stomped halfheartedly on the ground. "I've been freaking out all day trying to figure out what to say to you! You can't just...cockblock my apology!" She brushed her cheek, flustered. "It was supposed to go like, I'm sorry that I made your life a living hell! I'm sorry I constantly defended the piece of shit who tortured you! BOTH of them! I'm a constant nervous wreck just trying to make myself feel superior because I consistently think less of myself than I probably should!" She dragged a hand down her face, momentarily pulling at her eyelid. "I'm sorry, just so fucking sorry! I don't know what my problem is! I just wish the world worked like when I was in fucking middle school, when there wasn't all this insane drama that for some reason _I_ help create..."

The room was very, very quiet. Kate stood shocked. Victoria stood as vulnerable as ever, tears in her eyes. Max glanced between the two before unleashing a splendidly stupid chuckle.

"She doesn't even go here!" She said, her eyes growing wide before it was fully out of her mouth. Victoria snapped in her direction with an insane gaze.

_Whoooops that was definitely supposed to be internal monologue._

"Uh..." Max stuttered. "That was...that was...I just watched Mean Girls with Warren and it reminded me of that." She could practically see smoke rising from Victoria's precious little pixie cut, but a shrill laughter broke the silence. Kate was doubled over in absolute hysterics. This was enough to confuse and pacify Victoria as Max's cheeks grew red.

"I love that movie!" Kate said, gasping for breath. "That was so reminiscent of it too!"

"What the fuck," Victoria huffed. "And I suppose you two are the mean girls." Kate inhaled before laughing again, tears building in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She waved her hands in defense. "Victoria! You are completely forgiven! I swear to God! And I never do that!" Feeling still just a touch embarrassed, Max was relieved when her phone chirped to give her a distraction.

**Chloe:** be ready be ready be ready i want to date you

**Chloe:** i want your tongue around and inside my mouth

**Chloe:** gimme dat ass

**Chloe:** also im madly in love with you

Max clasped a hand to her face, hiding further cheek reddening and building laughter. She stood up, feeling it was time to take her leave.

"Okay, well this has been a good team building exercise. I'm sorry I Tina Fey'd you," she said to Victoria. "I must leave now because I will combust if I embarrass myself further. You two good?" Kate nodded, then swept in to give Max a hug. Victoria gave a much smaller, but still noticeable nod.

"I guess I should leave too, then..." Victoria said, unsure of herself.

"You can stay if you want, Victoria," Kate offered. She glanced at her violin, a small smile budding in her cheeks. "I've been playing since I was like...gosh, I don't know, five?"

"You're very good at it," she responded, running a hand through her hair nervously. "And, uh, you can call me Vic. If you...want, I mean."

Max grinned to herself as she pulled the door shut behind her, shaking her head in disbelief.

_Yep. Chloe and Frank, check. Kate and Victoria, check. Tomorrow...hm, let's see if we can't just fix that old Montague and Capulet squabble._


	12. Double Dare

Max didn't even attempt to stifle her grin as she approached Chloe's truck, which was once again parked perfectly in a normal parking space. Her pace picked up, bringing her to gleeful skip to the passenger's side. Her smile vanished when she saw the truck was empty. Pressing her nose to the glass, she peeked inside.

"NINJA HUG!" Chloe screamed as she wrapped her arms around Max's waist and picked her up from behind, causing the brunette to shriek as she kicked at the air. Chloe squawked in laughter, twirling in circles.

"Jesus Christ, Chloe!" Max's cheeks grew red from embarrassment as she watched the Blackwell parking lot spin.

"Heh, you're so light, I could just carry you everywhere," the punk chuckled. She began to take grandiose steps, making cute grunts as she carried Max toward the back of the truck.

"Dude, put me down!" Max pleaded, secretly loving it.

"Never!" Chloe yelled back. In response, Max went limp, the back of her head bonking off Chloe's forehead. She suddenly became _much_ more difficult to carry. "Hey, you can't do that lazy cat boneless thing! You little bitch, you always did this when we were kids." After a few more steps, her knees began to shake. Sighing dramatically, she set Max down. "Cheater," she mumbled.

"Uh huh, get good, noob," Max snarked, turning to finally face her Chloe. The blue haired girl stood tall, smiling warmly. She was beanie-less, and instead of her trademarked jacket and tank top, she wore a red sweater over a white dress shirt. She was still wearing her jeans, though it was a pair with no rips and of course she kept the boots. "Woah," Max said. "What's with the outfit?"

"Aw, you don't like it?" Chloe asked, frowning a bit. "I was going for sexy indie librarian."

"Oh, no!" Max cupped Chloe's cheek. "You look gorgeous! You nailed it, actually, I just didn't...were we supposed to dress up? I didn't know. You didn't tell me that!" Chloe began to laugh lightly, pulling Max's hand from her cheek and kissing it.

_Here I am in hoodie and jeans as usual. Nice, Max._

"Relax, Re-Max. You already look adorable." She let out a goofy smile. "Also, this is kind of...a multipurpose ensemble," she said, waving her hand over her figure like a punk QVC model. "Remember how I told you I had something dumb to tell you?"

"Uh huh..." Max eyed her suspiciously.

" _Welllll_ , I may or may not have gotten a job." Her eyes flashed with uncertainty, but she brought them back to 'happy mode.'

"Wait, what?!" Max's eyes grew wide as she clawed into Chloe's shoulders. "Are you fucking cereal!? Where?!" Chloe brought her hands to her shoulders, placing them on top of Max's.

"Uh...we're about to go there and eat?" She clenched her teeth, then narrowed her eyes. "Dude, I may have made a mistake here. I don't know if I can do the work thing."

"Oh shut up," Max giggled. "Wow, a waitress at the Two Whales?"

_Holy shit! Chloe Price has a job!_

"Yep! I'm surprised they're even giving me the chance, to be honest, but I think my mom used her massive pull to get me in there. I _think_ she even used recent events as a negotiation tactic. So proud of her!" Chloe faked sniffling.

"This is...a twist I never saw coming," the brunette admitted.

"I like to keep things exciting," the punk said. "Get used to it, since you're mine now." She booped Max's nose.

"Right, right. The gold trophy thing." Max rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm proud of you though, Chlo. You'll do great." Max squinted and smiled. "So, you dressed up for an interview at a diner where all the employees already know you?"

"I...was nervous," Chloe said quietly, puffing out her bottom lip. Max understood this to be her 'go ahead.' She cupped Chloe's cheeks and brought their lips together, letting the kiss burn away their surroundings. The punk, as usual, wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist. As Max began to break away, Chloe pulled her back into it, using the surprise to stage a tongue attack. Max felt a hand trail down to her backside, squeezing firmly before she felt her back and head make contact with Chloe's truck. After a moment of passion, Chloe broke the kiss with a giant, devious grin on her face. Max's eyes fluttered open slowly.

"Woah," she breathed. "You taste...good?" She cringed at her own words. "I don't even know what that means, you always taste good. Just, something's different. There's no..." Chloe cut her off, kissing her temple, forehead, nose, cheeks.

"I brushed my teeth three times and used mouthwash twice!" She gleefully whispered. "Was kind of worried I was just going to taste like blood, to be honest." She laced her fingers with Max's. "Wanted to not taste and smell like cigarettes for you." Max blushed.

"You didn't have to do that...I don't mind, really. It's kind of...I dunno, gross smoke reminds me of you." Chloe smiled at her with her tongue between her teeth. "But I do appreciate the gesture, Chlo. Babe."

"Still," the punk said wrapping her arms around Max. The brunette carefully stepped onto the tops of Chloe's boots, giving herself a small boost in height so they were eye level. "I...just want to do things for you?" Chloe whispered, her breath washing over Max. Her wide, blue eyes were steadily locked with Max's. Millions of feelings and unsaid words floated in their irises. Feeling overwhelmed, and just so _hopelessly_ in love, she attacked again, pressing her lips against Max's. A small clink was heard as their bullet necklaces lightly tapped together.

"Ow, ow!" Someone called, yanking the girls back to reality. Max stumbled off of Chloe's feet and backed into the truck, while the blue haired girl scanned her surroundings. She grinned when she saw Justin by the gym, waving enthusiastically. "Get a room you two!" He yelled.

"Fuck you, dude!" Chloe laughed as she held up a middle finger. Max shyly waved to him.

"I mean, if it's cool with Max," he called back, his voice stoned and slanted.

"Sorry, dork, you can't see it from there but I have a 'Property of Max Caulfield' tag." Max could hear a small laugh from Justin before he waved again and disappeared behind the gym. She turned to face Chloe.

"Stop making me fall harder in love with you!" She said, flustered. Chloe cackled maniacally.

"Are you kidding me? I can't fucking breathe without thinking about you. Deal with it, loser." She roughly tousled Max's hair, causing the brunette the pout. "At any rate, perhaps we should get to the diner. I'm hella starving." She opened the passenger door, holding her arm out invitingly. "Your chariot, my dear."

"Oh god," Max said, her cheeks forever inflamed. While Chloe pranced to the other side, Max nervously straightened her hair and breathed deeply.

_Oh man, why am I so nervous all the sudden? It's just Chloe. Just the girl I'm incredibly in love with. Oh._

Chloe gave Max a loving smile as she turned on the truck. Blink-182's First Date came screeching through the speakers. Chloe's eyes widened.

"Oh, fuck, wait," she stammered, mindlessly knocking on the radio. "Wait, wait," she continued, her cheeks growing a deep red. She ejected the disc, which was immediately sucked back into the player and continued playing. "Uh, no..." she whispered to herself, her composure completely falling apart. Max watched on silently, desperately trying to hide the brewing grin. "Gaaahhh!" Chloe shrieked, pulling the disc out and flinging it out the window. She put both hands tightly on the wheel and inhaled, clearly out of breath and flustered. Her face was the most beautiful shade of scarlet.

"So, you were just like...preparing, then?" Max asked, a satisfactory smirk on her face. The blue haired girl whipped in her direction, her eyes wired and crazed.

"Don't." She pleaded frustratedly.

"But, Chloe..." Max began, her voice sincere and low. "I'm...hurt..." The punk's expression dipped and she began to move toward Max.

"What? What happened? What's wrong? Let me see..." She was clearly worried, which made Max feel a little bad about what would follow.

"It's just, I've been hit. Struck, even. By a smo-" Max's voice was stifled as Chloe flung herself on top of Max. The smaller girl pleaded in muffles against Chloe's sweater, but the punk was having none of it.

"You will pay for your pop song references, you little hipster trash," Chloe chided, pressing Max's face into her chest as she wrapped her arms around her. "I will suffocate you with boobs. You will die because of boobs. I hope you're happy." Max went still for a moment and the two became quiet. Finally, she felt Max nod against her chest and shrug, mumbling something that sounded like 'I am.'

_I guess if I gotta go **somehow**._

* * *

"In the car, I just can't wait," Max sang as they entered the Two Whales. She could practically feel Chloe's eyes roll.

"I was just excited! Fucking, athletes listen to music before a game! It gets them pumped up!" She groaned. "You'll never let me live this down, will you?" In return, Max simply shrugged with a smile.

"Sorry, it was just adorable and honestly it made me feel more comfortable. I was feeling a little out of my depth with how perfect you were being." She slid into their usual booth, Chloe squeezing in next to her. "Oh, no fucking way are we going to be _that_ couple," Max said sternly. The punk flashed some serious puppy eyes, causing Max to sigh and scoot over a little more.

"Come on, it's _kinda_ cool," Chloe argued. "You always see those couples and you squint your eyes at them and shake your first because it's too cutesy, but you do it because you _want_ that. And now we have it!" She danced in her seat a little, trying to bounce her butt against Max's. "Let me have thissss," she hissed.

_She's not wrong, I guess._

"Yes, dear," Max grumbled. Chloe clapped her hands excitedly. A waitress approached the two with a smirk on her face.

"Well hey there, little Price," she said. It was a familiar woman Max guessed was somewhere in Joyce's age bracket, though her hair was fully gray. "I hear you're going to be picking up some of Claudia's shifts. Is this true?"

"Hi, Janice. It's true, I start on Monday," she said, blushing somewhat. "I won't be as good as her of course but I kind of need that cash." She fiddled with the sugar packets.

"You'll do fine, hun. You're more than welcome to the family." She eyed Max suspiciously, a knowing smile on her face. "So this must be your girlfriend."

_Oh dear. Joyce! You'd get along with Dana._

"I am," Max admitted, reaching her hand out for Janice to shake. "I actually remember you from when I was little," she said.

"Ah, before I turned into an old woman," she sighed. "Well, welcome back to Arcadia Bay. Sorry that we've gotten some bad publicity lately." She nodded toward Chloe. "How are you feeling, by the way?" Chloe's expression flickered annoyance, but she didn't hold it for long.

"I'm...okay, it's basically healed. Coulda been a lot worse," she said, frowning. Max could tell it was a conversation Chloe was probably tired of having. She was definitely the 'can we just move on from this?' kind of person when she wasn't the one holding the grudge. Thankfully, Janice seemed to pick up on this.

"Well, that's good. We can all put it behind us." She smiled, holding up two menus. "Now, the important bit...do you guys need to take a look at these or do you already know what you want?"

"I'd like to check it out," Max said. Chloe released a frustrated sigh before winking at Max. Janice handed them the menus and asked for their drink orders before scurrying away. The couple stared at each other, huge grins pasted on their faces. "Oh!" Max said, her voice dipping to a whisper. "So I told Warren that I could re-"

"Shhh." Chloe pressed her index finger on Max's lips. The brunette's brow furrowed. "No R-word until after dinner." She slowly removed her finger.

"R-word?" Max asked, confused.

"Yes, _the_ R-word. I want to...just have one moment where we talk about normal stuff. Like, let's talk about life the past five years, get to know what we're into. I just think it'd be good for our sanity...good for mine, at least." She scrunched her lips to the side. "Is that okay with you?"

"Fine." Max smiled. "I won't say..." She leaned toward Chloe and whispered, "Rumpelstiltskin." The blue haired girl chuckled.

"You fucker!" She lightly slapped Max's shoulder. "I told you not to say it!" She huffed dramatically. "Date ruined. I'm out." She slowly began to get up before Max yanked her back into the seat, sprinkling kisses onto her cheeks.

"Easy, you two," Janice said, returning with their drinks. "You'll get everyone all hot an' bothered." She set them down, then rolled her eyes. "I'll come back for the order. You guys didn't even open the menu."

"I already know what I want!" Chloe shook her hands in the air. Janice narrowed her eyes at her, then looked at Max.

"Take your time, sweetie."

_All diner waitresses say sweetie and hun. I wonder if it'll leak into Chloe's vocabulary._

After a few minutes of Max trying to desperately concentrate on the menu while Chloe repeatedly made loud fart sounds, the waitress returned.

"No thanks to this one," Max said, waving her hand at Chloe, "I've come to a decision. I want...a grilled cheese. With bacon!" She held the menu up for Janice to take.

"Are you cereal, Max?" Chloe purposely elongated 'cereal' to make it sound ridiculous. "Took you that long to decide on hot, buttered bread with cheese." She turned to the waitress. "I would like the usual, thanks." Janice simply shook her head and left.

"The USUAL?" Max laughed. "And you're giving me shit! How chivalrous." In return, the punk kissed her cheek.

"So, Mad Max, let's talk." She shifted slightly in the booth so she had a better view of her girlfriend, forcefully trying to move it away from her. "Not the best seating arrangement for conversation," she admitted.

"What do you want to talk about?" The brunette asked, taking a sip of her soda.

"Well, what are you into? What'd you do for the last five years? You kind of know about my shit but what about you?" Chloe chuckled, somewhat embarrassed. "We're kind of reverse dating, this is weird. But...neat?"

"But neat," Max agreed. "Um...I dunno, it's kind of a loaded question. I guess for the most part I just...kind of kept to myself." She frowned. "Really nothing exciting. I didn't really have any friends, just a few, so I sort of submerged myself in internet culture and media. And photography, of course."

_Oh, that's right. I forgot that I'm a **fucking** loser._

"That's the TLDR, I want the details, babygirl," the blue haired girl smirked. Max began to feel frustrated.

"No, that's...that's pretty much it. I mean, I did stuff with my parents. We went sightseeing and went to sporting events, but they've always been pretty busy with work. I had these two friends, Fernando and Kristen. They were weird and quiet like me, but I was bad at hanging out with them..." She sighed. "I didn't really try to make many friends. I was too scared of losing them like I lost you." This admission clearly caught Chloe off guard. She snuggled in closer to Max. "I was kind of a loser," she said sheepishly.

"You weren't and aren't a loser, Max," Chloe whispered, bringing their hands together under the table. "So, what? You were introverted. At least you didn't end up like me. In trouble constantly, doing dumb shit just to get a point across. A dull point, might I add." She kissed Max's temple. "You are _not_ a loser. You are thoughtful, kind, insanely talented...you have all the qualities I wish I had."

"That's funny, I feel the same about you," Max said, struggling to smile through her insecurities.

"Well, opposites attract and all that shit," Chloe added, propping her feet up on the seat across from them. "So, social stuff aside, what were you interested in?"

"Well..." Max began, brightening up a little. "I guess I just became a huge nerd. Marathoning TV shows, playing video games, reading comics, tumblr..."

"Oh man, that's great," Chloe laughed. "Please tell me you had a tumblr with very serious opinions!" She grinned, rubbing Max's leg.

"Nah, I didn't post much myself...but now that you mention it, I do recall this really cool xanga a friend of mine once had..."

"Mm...okay! Nevermind! Let's move on..." Chloe grew flushed in her cheeks.

_What was it again? xxpricepiratedragonslayerxx?_

"Fine, fine," Max snickered. "I also got heavy into video games. I had a World of Warcraft addiction for a while...it got pretty bad."

"Ha! What a nerd!" Chloe's hand slowly moved to Max's inner thigh. " _My_ nerd, though," she purred. "I've never played, but it seems cool." Max's brain struggled between focusing on what was going on beneath the table and whatever it was Chloe was saying.

"Yeah, it was...cool...and, I, uh...kind of got into speedrunning games for a little bit but was never...any..." Her face felt like she was staring directly at the sun.

"I kind of fell out of gaming," Chloe said, pouting, her hand slowly moving on Max's thigh. "I fell out of any cool stuff, really. I used to be such an anime nerd."

_How is she doing this while staying so cool? What is this witchcraft?!_

"We could...watch some later, if you're interested..." Max mustered, barely in control of what was leaving her mouth.

"I would love that!" The punk exclaimed, her hand falling still. "This is what I want! You get me back into normal, cool shit and I can...show you how to have fun in other ways." She smirked, sending Max's stomach careening off a cliff. Such a dangerous smirk. Her hand crept closer upward.

_Other ways...right..._

"Other ways?" Max asked, swallowing hard. Before Chloe could answer, Janice returned with their food.

"Alright girls, here's your food. Holler if you need anything else, okay?" Chloe nodded and she was gone to another table. The punk removed her hand from Max's leg, excitedly swatting the edge of the table.

_Oh, cool, so we're just going to let that go, then._

"The usual," Chloe said, smiling at her plate. It was a rather large burger fixed with all kinds of toppings with several mozzarella sticks instead of fries. Chloe picked one up and crunched into it, her cheeks puffing out in the most cartoonish of expressions. Her eyes remained on Max, as if she was expecting something.

"Dude," the brunette said, pointing at Chloe's food. "That is your _usual_?"

"Mhm!" She popped in the other half of the mozzarella stick. "It's the best and they don't charge me extra for the mozz sticks anymore," she said with her mouth full.

"Jesus," Max laughed. "How are you not crazy fat?" Chloe slowed her chewing, her eyes pointing upward in thought. Finally, she shrugged and smiled, lifting up her sweater and shirt a little so Max could see.

"I dunno, I think I have a pretty rockin' bod, too." In response, Max pried her eyes away and took a deliberate bite of her sandwich.

The two continued their meals, chatting casually about some of the things they were into. Chloe talked about her art interests and how she felt guilty for abandoning them. They talked about music, with Max listing off countless indie bands for Chloe to roll her eyes at. They talked movies, television, photography, celebrities. They reminisced about Mario Kart and how much Chloe used to troll Max.

"Oh, I got a good one. Or two, really. R and P," Chloe said after giggling about the previous story. "Thoughts?"

"R and P? Like roleplay?" Max gave her a sarcastic look. The punk chuckled, rubbing her thumb over the back of Max's hand.

"No, but I would _love_ to return to that topic later." She winked at Max again, inciting a blush. "I mean religion and politics. The big no-no's for conversation! Care to share?" She asked in a singsong voice. "Or would you rather not?"

"Mmn, I don't know...I don't really have super strong opinions about either. Sometimes I pretend to myself that I do, but it's not like I do all the research necessary. I guess just...weed is pretty cool, racism is bad, people should be able to marry who they want..."

"Damn right, Maxipad! Why we gotta go somewhere else to get married?" Max briefly choked on her soda, spitting a small amount of it back into the glass. "Woah, didn't know people actually did that," Chloe said, seeming somewhat impressed.

"Married, huh?" Max asked, turning as much as she could in her seat.

"I'm sorry," the punk said, holding up their interlocked hands, "are you under the impression that we won't be getting married? Dude, you're fucking high if you think I'm not putting a ring on that."

_Wowser, married...is that an unofficial proposal?_

"Just haven't...thought about it," Max said, giving Chloe a small kiss.

"Pretty much all I can think about," the blue haired girl responded. "So, what about religion?" She let the question linger, a huge smile blooming on her face. Max looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Okay, that one's kind of a gimme, what with everything that we've been through. Who the fuck knows, right?"

"No R-word," Max reminded. Chloe held up her hands innocently.

"I think I'm about done," Chloe said, eying her empty plate.

"Yeah, I'd say so." Max poked Chloe's stomach, which was of course firm and made her _feel things_. "I'm good too! How much is the check?"

"Nope!" Chloe flailed her hands around. "I got this one. _Dating!_ " Max giggled, feeling so warm in her chest. It couldn't have been too much money, but just the idea that she had someone doting on her like Chloe had been the past few days made her feel so good. After Chloe had paid and tipped Janice, the two linked fingers together and left. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the door, Chloe pulled Max into a hug. Their cheeks pressed together and the punk rocked them side to side slowly. "I love you, Max," the punk whispered.

"I love you too," Max said, kissing Chloe's ear.

"Okay, alright," the blue haired girl said, straightening up. "The ban is lifted...tell me what Warren had to say about everything on the ride home."

* * *

The drive to Chloe's house was filled with less lighthearted discussion. Max told her about her conversation with Warren and how telling him about everything actually physically affected him. She brought up the idea that she and Chloe 'broke' her powers and there was still some unseen consequences lingering. She merely listened, keeping her eyes on the road as she drove. Max did make sure to thank Chloe on Warren's behalf for Brooke asking him out. That made her chuckle, at least. It seemed that Chloe wanted to mention something herself, but never quite got around to doing it.

"Ello, ello!" Chloe greeted in an awful accent as she opened the door to her home. Joyce and David sat at the dining room table eating their own dinner. Max shook her head and added in her own 'hello.'

"Well hey, girls, how was the big date?" Joyce asked, chewing with a smile. David didn't look up from his meal.

"It was awesome! We got married! And we're moving to the Netherlands. I'll miss you guys," Chloe blabbed as she maneuvered through the kitchen. Joyce rolled her eyes while David quietly chuckled. "Hey, so I don't know if this is a weird question _buuut_ is Max allowed to stay the night now that you know we're a thing?"

_Hey! You didn't even ask if I wanted to! I mean...of course I do but...hmph, fine._

Joyce nodded mindlessly before freezing and looking at David. Hearing the silence in the room, he looked up and realized the three ladies were staring at him.

_Does David know about us? Does he want to burn us at the stake? Maybe HE thinks I'm a harlot._

"Uh, what?" He asked, his chewing slow. "Oh, is it okay? Yeah, I don't care. Just go easy on the loud music." He casually returned to his meal. Chloe threw Max a 'what the fuuuuck' look while Joyce shrugged happily.

"Janice was our server tonight," Chloe said, slinging an arm around her mother. "She says I am 'welcome to the Two Whales family' so naturally I barfed." She chuckled, with Joyce shaking her head. Max hung out by the head of the table opposite David, watching him be the opposite of what she knew. His paranoia senses apparently were tingling as he glanced up at her before turning to Chloe.

"Hey, I just wanted to say that, uh...I'm really proud of you for going out and getting a job. I'm going to take full credit from our little chat earlier." He grunted in satisfaction.

_Little chat earlier? So he and Chloe must have already talked about us..._

"Proud of me!?" Chloe faked a squeal, clasping her hands together. "Can I get that in writing? Hold on a sec, I want to find a sharpie."

"Don't be an ass," he teased. Then, without warning, he sobbed. He quickly brought his hand to his eyes and wiped, his face turning red behind it. Chloe shot Max a confused look, with the brunette returning it. Joyce, seemingly knowing what this was all about, simply reached across the table and clasped his hand. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "It's just so nice to see you happy."

_Oh, David..._

Chloe stood still, her face growing pale. The words clearly had struck a blow. Max knew that feeling very well; the constant need to restructure your perception of things. Time travel had that effect on people. Apparently even after their 'discussion' today, Chloe still had some set in stone ideas of David. The punk took a step toward him and threw her arms around him. Joyce seemed the most shocked of all, but it faded into a somber smile.

"Two in one day, don't get used to it," the blue haired girl snipped as David returned the hug.

* * *

"Years of rebellion squandered!" Chloe stomped around her room. "This is all your fault." She pointed at Max. "You and your time traveling and fixing things. I had built up a perfectly good anti-David fortress, thank you very much."

"I've never seen someone try so hard to be annoyed," Max teased. Chloe sat on the edge of her bed, giggling.

"Yeah, it's not really working, is it?" She sighed. "I totally forgot to tell you about earlier. He and I actually bonded. It was terrible!" She feigned a shiver. "Basically, he's totally cool with us trying to swallow each others tongues."

"Jesus, Chloe, could you make it sound any worse?" Max winced.

"Oh absolutely, just give me a minute." She gained an impish smile. "Or rather, I could show and not tell, if that's your thing." The playful look in her eyes sparked a fire in Max.

_Oh, fuck this._

She stormed over to Chloe, placed both hands on her shoulders and straddled her. The punk was caught off guard, almost falling backward before catching herself by gripping Max's waist. The brunette dove in, crashing their lips together and raking her hands through blue hair. Chloe moaned, letting her hands dip under Max's hoodie and shirt as she dug in lightly with her nails. Max backed off briefly, flinging her hoodie off and onto the floor. She attacked, pressing her teeth lightly into Chloe's neck, bringing forth another small moan.

"You've been driving me crazy all fucking night," Max rasped into her ear. "Time for some payback, Carmilla." She kissed Chloe's neck softly at first before returning to gentle nibbling, which eventually grew into biting. The punk shook beneath her, her nails digging harder into Max's lower back.

"Fuck, Max," Chloe groaned. The sound of her name in that tone made her ravenous. One of her hands gripped Chloe's collar, pulling her mouth against Max's as her other hand pressed against the girl's lower back. Max gently slid her tongue through Chloe's lips, all the while loving the feel of her nails on her back. She began to suck on her lip, biting down on it harder than she had meant.

"Hehe, ow," Chloe giggled, pulling away from Max. Her face grew incredibly hot.

"I'm sorry!" She panicked, grabbing Chloe's head to investigate her lips. "Jesus, I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot."

_Great job, Max. You **suck** at this. And not in the good way._

"Relax, sexy," the blue haired girl whispered. "I'm _kinda_ into that." Max was relieved but still embarrassed. She began to climb off of Chloe before the girl's hands held her still. "Where you goin'?" She asked innocently, falling backwards and dragging Max with her. The brunette 'hmph'd' stubbornly. Chloe stared up at Max, who was laying on top of her with big uncertain doe eyes. "That was pretty hot," she said casually. "What brought that on? Not that I'm complaining..."

"You," Max sighed, sliding off of Chloe so she was more next to her. "You just do this _look_ and you have this _smile_ and...the thing at the diner with the leg..." Max watched as Chloe's lip was already thickening from her bite. It just made her want it more.

"Thing with the leg?" Chloe asked. "Hm, I don't recall." Max growled in frustration before burying her face in the sheets. Chloe snickered, turning on her side and draping an arm around Max. "It's called teasing, dumbo, and it's very fun." She sat up. "Which reminds me, I need to apply my daily dose of Neosporin." She stood up from the bed and tugged her sweater off. Upon hearing the cloth hit the bed, Max peeked one eye open. The punk stood, facing away from her, slowly unbuttoning the dress shirt. The brunette sat up, rubbing at one of her eyes. Chloe briefly glanced behind her, snickering when she noticed Max's attention.

"You know..." she said, letting the shirt cascade from her shoulders and hit the floor. "You've been getting a lot of free shows lately."

"What?" Max scoffed, a smile emerging on her face. "You've seen me in my bra too! The pool, remember?"

"Did I? I can't seem to recall..." She turned around, beaming. Max's eyes slowly trailed down from her face to her chest. "You like the necklace?" Chloe asked, threading her fingers under the string and lifting it so the bullet swayed gently. "You should get one," she suggested.

"I should," Max sassed as she grabbed the bullet hanging from her neck and pulled open her collar, dropping it down inside. She smirked at Chloe.

"Tell you what, Maxers..." Chloe drifted over to the door and locked it. "I dare you to let me see your necklace."

"You just saw it, dummy," the brunette responded. She quietly gasped. " _Oh_." Chloe strutted toward her slowly, a panther on a prowl. Now she straddled Max, her bra and the bare skin around it grazing against her nose. She leaned down to her ear, breathing slowly. The sensation made Max's mind scatter.

"I _double_ dare you."

_This is stupid...we've seen each other in our underwear plenty of times. Why does this feel so different?_

Biting her lip and trying as best she could to ignore what was directly in her face, she leaned back and held her breath. Slowly, she pulled at her shirt, lifting it over her head and losing it behind her. The silence seemed maddening as Chloe stared into her eyes, a barely-there smile on her open lips. Max began to feel extremely self conscious.

" _Theeeree it is_ ," Chloe cooed, backing off of Max's lap and kissing the bullet, the fringe of her lips just barely touching Max's chest. Max clamped her eyes shut, as if that would hide her body. Chloe kissed again, this time without the separation of the bullet. And again. Her teeth slowly grazed over the edge of Max's bra, hooking onto it and pulling slightly.

_What has my life become? Five years ago this would have been insane...two weeks ago it would have been insane. But this...this feels so perfect._

Max's eyes opened when the sensation of Chloe's lips stopped. The punk stood in front of her, bent down so they were eye level. Max began to feel embarrassed. Had she been making a stupid face?

"You're so hot," Chloe said, biting her lip. Max stared in awe before finally laughing.

"Shut _up_!" She flailed weakly at Chloe, who caught her hand and fit their fingers together. She pulled Max to her feet.

"Make me," she challenged. Without hesitation, she kissed her, their skin warm against each others. Chloe slid one finger down Max's chest and stomach, latching onto a belt loop in her jeans. She tugged, pulling Max against Chloe's body harder. Max broke away, out of breath, and did her best Chloe mischievous smile.

_Fine. Two can play this game._

"I dare _you_ to..."

"Chloe!" Joyce called from downstairs. "Can you come here for a minute?" Max recoiled in panic, immediately diving onto the bed behind her to put her shirt back on. The punk chuckled and shook her head.

"Yeah, one sec!" She called back as she unlocked the door. She slipped a t-shirt on. "What a cockblock," she muttered, opening the door. She turned to Max for a moment before leaving and stuck her tongue out.

* * *

The two girls sat nestled in Chloe's bed, her laptop sitting at their feet. They had spent the last two hours watching an anime, taking breaks between episodes for kissing opportunities. Because of this, they had barely made a dent in the show's catalog. Max wouldn't have objected to actually making out _during_ the show, but to her happiness, the punk seemed to be pretty engrossed and didn't want to miss any details.

Chloe had fully changed into her pajamas, but not before making a show of taking her bra off from under her shirt. She had little cotton shorts on, nearly identical to the pair she had let Max borrow. The brunette had wondered if they were going to resume their dangerous game of truth-or-dare-minus-truth, but it seemed the moment had passed and she guessed that Chloe secretly relished the sense of longing she had injected into Max.

_It's like a roller coaster that keeps going up._

"This is pretty rad," Chloe said, yawning as another episode ended.

"I'm glad you like it, it's one of my favorites," Max yawned in return. "Yawns are dumb, stop giving me yawns."

"Already gave you my cooties," The blue haired girl said. "By the by, did you see David looking at your neck? Shit was hella funny."

"What!? No, I didn't see that!" She huffed. "I didn't even get you back. So unfair." She pouted as she surveyed Chloe's bruise-less neck.

"There'll be plenty of time for that, grasshopper." Chloe slid down until she was flat on her back. She pulled her shirt up a little and scratched at her ribs. "This thing is itchy, man."

"That's the _Price_ you have to pay," Max teased, laughing when Chloe rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you literally took one for the team. Team Pirates!"

"And I'd do it again and again to get where we are," the punk said, her tone serious. Max gently touched the band-aid on Chloe's ribs, freshly applied after Joyce shut down their body party.

"Does it still hurt?" She asked.

"Mmn, sometimes. It's weird, sometimes it really hurts if you graze it the wrong way, other times it's like there's nothing there." Chloe made pop noises with her mouth.

Max held her hand on Chloe's ribs, suddenly overcome with the sensation she had felt when she arrived back in the bathroom. The notion that she could have lost Chloe for good made her heart break. She positioned herself so she was next to the blue haired girl and rested her head on her chest.

_But that's not what happened...We made it. Leave it to Chloe to wing it and fix everything. What did you want, Southern Time God? Just Chloe to be shot? I guess I'll never understand... Who would have thought a bullet hole would save a town from a storm and give me the love of my life?_

"Hole to another universe..." Max whispered absentmindedly, slowly stroking the punk's ribs. Chloe wriggled one foot from under the covers and tapped the space bar, pausing the show.

"What, baby?" She asked, her voice tired.

"Nothin'," Max chuckled quietly. "Just thinking."

"That's dangerous," she snarked back, giving Max ample time to move her hand as she rolled to her side. The two lay there, eyes forever locked together. Chloe slowly reached toward Max and brushed some hair out of her face. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Hope you don't get sick of hearing that." The punk wore a serene smile. "Gonna say it all the time forever."

"I think I can handle it," Max joked back. "It gives me strength. But not in a sappy way, in a...feasting on souls kind of way."

"Good, soul feasting is my fetish." The blue haired girl scooted closer so their noses were touching. "Hey," she whispered, her voice sounding uncertain. "Is this...is this how life is going to be now? With us, just like this?"

The question caught Max off guard for several reasons. One, it just seemed like a given, so...duh. Two, Chloe's insecurities were clearly leaking out, despite her best efforts to keep them locked up. She had done such a good job the past few days of making everything seem as normal as possible for Max and being the strong one that Max had almost forgotten what kind of hell Chloe had lived in for the past five years. After everything, she was _still_ scared Max would vanish on her.

"Chlo..." Max wrapped her in a hug, kissing her cheek as she did so. "I am _never_ leaving you. This is how life is going to be now. With you and me together."

"Good...I love you..." Chloe said, her words slurring as she fell asleep.


	13. Bonus: Texts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A batch of 'in universe' text messages to show interaction between Max and other characters. These don't necessarily have a specific slot in the 'timeline' of the story, but some of them will be referenced or elaborated on in later chapters.

**Dana:** MAX!  
 **Dana:** Halloween Party tomorrow! U and Chlo Chlo coming?  
 **Max:** She'd kill you for calling her that.  
 **Max:** And yes, we'll be there.  
 **Dana:** Yay!  
 **Dana:** And I'd like to see her try!  
 **Dana:** It starts at 7:30, don't be late. We can do the Monster Max!  
 **Max:** You're sooooo punny, Dana

* * *

**Chloe:** you ever just repeat a word over and over and it starts to sound like fucking gibberish  
 **Max:** Are you stoned?  
 **Chloe:** i really dont see what that has to do with anything  
 **Chloe:** just like. say nintendo  
 **Chloe:** nintendo  
 **Chloe:** nin ten doooooe  
 **Max:** It doesn't work over text you loser  
 **Chloe:** not with that attitude

* * *

**Warren:** Ayo, ready for movies tonight!?  
 **Max:** You know it!  
 **Warren:** Chloe coming?  
 **Max:** To her chagrin. Is BROOKE coming?  
 **Max:** ;)  
 **Warren:** Yeah! But she got kinda weird when I said you'd be there?  
 **Max:** I'm shocked.  
 **Warren:** Just treat me like a loser, maybe it'll make her feel superior.  
 **Max:** Oh, Warren. You ARE a loser! :D  
 **Warren:** Good start. Text in a bit.

* * *

**Chloe:** dude dinner at two whales?  
 **Max:** Maybe let's get food somewhere else for a change  
 **Chloe:** what?  
 **Max:** Like a different restaurant  
 **Chloe:** i don't understand  
 **Max:** Two Whales isn't the only place that produces food, Chloe  
 **Chloe:** WHAT. WHY DIDNT ANYONE TELL ME.  
 **Max:** *sings* A whole neeeew world...

* * *

**Justin:** yo yo max the guys and i wanted to know if you wanted to take some shots at our sesh?  
 **Max:** Sounds awesome Justin! Sure. We can...shred?  
 **Justin:** sweeeeeeeeet  
 **Justin:** we're teaching kate how to skate  
 **Justin:** YO THAT RHYMED  
 **Max:** Omg be careful with her! Be there after class  
 **Justin:** YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**Max:** Daniel wants to know if you'll model for him?  
 **Chloe:** how much he payin?  
 **Max:** Uhh...nothing?  
 **Chloe:** i can make hella cash modeling max. have you seen this bod?  
 **Max:** Every night in my dreams.  
 **Chloe:** ooooo naughty! yeah tell the nerd he can draw me but I wont take off anything below the waist  
 **Max:** Chloe!

* * *

**Max:** We need you to settle an argument.  
 **Warren:** I love u both equally  
 **Max:** Shush, and that better not even be true.  
 **Max:** Who would win in a fight? Romona Flowers or Lara Croft?  
 **Warren:** That matchup doesn't even make sense? Why would they be fighting?  
 **Max:** ANSWER  
 **Warren:** ...Samus?  
 **Max:** I...  
 **Max:** Hmm...  
 **Max:** You win this one, Graham!

* * *

**Chloe:** Bright Eyes is hipster music?  
 **Max:** Bright Eyes is like, part of the holy trinity of hipster music, babe.  
 **Chloe:** man whatever, i've liked him forever  
 **Max:** You mean before it was cool?  
 **Chloe:** dsijajfsleklew fuck u  
 **Max:** ;*

* * *

**Dana:** max this is trevor  
 **Dana:** we are getting ripped later. your more than welcome to join  
 **Dana:** bring the blue one  
 **Max:** I think I can squeeze that into my schedule!  
 **Max:** Wait, why are you using Dana's phone?  
 **Dana:** justin ran over mine with his board lol  
 **Max:** You two are out of control

* * *

**Chloe:** MAXMAX i have a joke for you  
 **Chloe:** how is my finger like a gun?  
 **Max:** Oh lord...  
 **Chloe:** both go BANG! lol get it sista?  
 **Warren:** I'm in this chat too...  
 **Chloe:** i know

* * *

**Warren:** Man, can you PLEASE help me with this assignment? I can't camera  
 **Warren:** I actually blinded myself with the flash  
 **Warren:** HOW DOES THIS  
 **Max:** Yes to all  
 **Warren:** K that's about where I'm at too

* * *

**Chloe:** dickyvicky says I say hella too much  
 **Chloe:** do I say hella too much?  
 **Max:** You are the middle porridge of saying hella  
 **Chloe:** helllllllllla!  
 **Max:** Do I say wowsers too much?  
 **Chloe:** hella  
 **Max:** Hm.

* * *

**Max:** Kaaaate where are yooou  
 **Kate:** Sry! My phone was on silent. I was out shopping with Chloe!  
 **Max:** wut.  
 **Kate:** We went to the bookstore and got tea!  
 **Max:** WUT.

* * *

**Chloe:** if someone, not naming any names, were to get you flowers what kind would you want?  
 **Chloe:** asking for a friend  
 **Max:** We have all the same friends.  
 **Max:** But I love daisies. And thank you. :)  
 **Chloe:** shut up and let me be romantic  
 **Chloe:** goddamn  
 **Chloe:** and no emoji!

* * *

**Victoria:** Hey hipster, do you want to study together for the exam? I'm sure you could probably use the help.  
 **Max:** HEY VICKY, MAX CANT COME TO THE PHONE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HER MOUTH IS SOUTH  
 **Max:** GET WHAT IM SAYIN  
 **Victoria:** What. The fuck.  
 **Max:** Calm down Vic, we're just watching a movie. Yes I'm totally down for study partners!  
 **Victoria:** The gagging won't stop.

* * *

**Max:** What about aggrandizing?  
 **Chloe:** the fuck are you talking about  
 **Max:** The words sounding like gibberish thing...a grand eye sing  
 **Chloe:** a grand eye sing?  
 **Chloe:** A GRAND EYE SING  
 **Chloe:** lol WTF i cant do this right now

…

**Chloe:** i keep saying it out loud and its freaking me out. IT MEANS SOMETHING.  
 **Max:** The truth is out there, babe.

* * *

**Max:** Dude I saw you and Brooke fighting, everything cool?  
 **Warren:** Yeah, we're fine! Just a debate.  
 **Max:** Debate!? She looked furious! What were you debating?  
 **Warren:** She's really adamant that the first generation of Pokemon is the only good one, I disagree.  
 **Max:** Omg  
 **Max:** You guys are such nerds.  
 **Max:** Why are all my friends nerds!?  
 **Warren:** You own a Sawsbuck plush.  
 **Max:** Oh. That's why.

* * *

**Chloe:** hey nerd, you left ur ipod here.  
 **Chloe:** bunch of lame hipster bands, no surprise  
 **Chloe:** Iron + Wine, Neutral Milk Hotel, Fleet Foxes...  
 **Chloe:** THE OFFICIAL SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS SOUNDTRACK!?  
 **Chloe:** HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  
 **Max:** Oh shut up.  
 **Chloe:** ARE YA READY KIDS!?  
 **Max:** SHUT UP

* * *

**Frank:** yo kid  
 **Max:** Hey Frank!  
 **Frank:** Thanks for babysittin Pompidou the other day.  
 **Max:** Are you kidding? I love my little Pom Pom!  
 **Frank:** Yeah don't say that anymore.  
 **Max:** Not to your face, anyway.

* * *

**Chloe:** HOLY SHIT MAX  
 **Chloe:** i am making fuckin bank today!  
 **Chloe:** we must celebrate by blowing ALL OF IT  
 **Max:** I don't think that's how it's supposed to work  
 **Max:** Not to be a buzzkill, but maybe you should save it?  
 **Chloe:** sorry i cant hear you over how rich i am  
 **Max:** SIGH. Fine, what are you going to buy?  
 **Chloe:**...where do you stand on getting a tattoo?

* * *

**Victoria:** Group chat to all you bitches I smoked in Smash last night  
 **Victoria:** c;  
 **Max:** It was pretty impressive, I have to admit  
 **Warren:** I bow to ur skill.  
 **Chloe:** FUCK YOU BITCH. 1-V-1 ME. YOU JUST GOT LUCKY CHASE.  
 **Max:** Chloe!  
 **Chloe:** HOLD ME BACK

* * *

**Chloe:** max, warren just texted me.  
 **Max:** He did? Great...  
 **Chloe:** he said you get a nosebleed...  
 **Chloe:** are you ok?  
 **Max:** I'm fine, just...the usual  
 **Chloe:** i love you so so much  
 **Chloe:** please tell me when this stuff happens?  
 **Max:** Well, I guess I have no choice now that you have SPIES  
 **Chloe:** exactly! you cant hide from me.  
 **Chloe:** but seriously...keep me in the loop, please?  
 **Max:** I will. I'm sorry. Just didn't want to worry you.  
 **Chloe:** its okay. you are worth all of my worry.  
 **Chloe:** and i love you more than anything


	14. "Jolly" Roger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So I've been slowly adding everything I have so far of this story, which has been up on FF for a few months now. With this chapter, we've now fully caught up, so you will be getting the story as it comes out. Thanks everyone for checking it out! Hope you enjoy it!

"Dana has texted me like eighty-six times today," Max said as Chloe gingerly applied eyeliner on her.

"Oh no, you have friends," the punk quipped sardonically. She stood back and smiled. "All done!" Max turned to evaluate her look in the mirror.

"I don't think pirates actually used eyeliner...this is purely a Johnny Depp invention." She leaned in and blinked several times.

"Pfft, whatever, Caulfield. It's hot. You kinda have this like, Robert Smith thing going on." Chloe picked up the pirate hat that sat on Max's bed and put it on. "Which reminds me, could you show me, show me, show me how you do that trick? The one that makes me SCREAM!" She sucked Max into a vicious hug from behind. "You know what I mean, right?" She asked, nuzzling into Max's neck, her tone sultry.

"Oh, you _know_ I do, babe..." Max purred, turning in Chloe's arms to face her. She leaned in close, her breath washing over Chloe's lips and she hesitated. The punk watched in amusement, her blue eyes entranced. Quickly, Max brought both hands to Chloe's sides and began to tickle her. The blue haired girl squealed in laughter.

"No, no!" She screamed, flailing her arms. "Get off-a me!"

"But I thought this was what you wanted?" Max pouted, continuing her tickle onslaught. The punk backed up until the edge of the bed swept away her feet, sending her onto her back. Max climbed on top of her.

"Nooooooo!" Chloe shrieked, breathless from laughing. "This is torture! TORTURE!" Finally, Max relented, still straddling Chloe. She smirked at her victoriously. Smoothly, she scooped up the captain hat that had fallen off of Chloe and placed it on her head.

" _I'm_ the captain now."

This had been the game since their date a few days ago. A moment would appear, usually brought on by Chloe, where the two would have a chance to do something, _anything_ remotely sexual with one another. But Chloe, as she had said, loved teasing, and usually used the opportunity to drive Max crazy, leaving her wanting more. It took Max a day or two to adjust, but she was proving herself to be a formidable foe. Sometimes, she could tell Chloe was totally out of her depth, and she _loved_ it.

"Get your bony ass off of me," Chloe said, thrusting her hands at Max. Chuckling, the brunette did as she was told and moved to a sitting position next to her. She turned to face herself in the mirror, smiling when she noticed the new splotches of purple on her neck.

"Are you playing Connect Four with yourself on my neck?" She asked, craning her neck to get a better view. She heard the punk 'ha!' behind her.

"Yeah, but I just _cannot_ get a leg up on this chick. It's like she knows my next move before I make it!" She sat up, wrapping an arm around Max and looking into the mirror with her. "Besides, you got me too. Look at this fucker." She pointed to a singular bruise on her throat.

_That's right, Max Caulfield strikes back._

"You know, this is really kind of disgustingly cute," Chloe said, pointing at the mirror. "Look at us! Back together, dressed as pirates...well, mostly dressed..." She looked down at her boxers and shrugged. "I mean, this is seriously amazeballs." Max watched herself grin in the mirror before leaning back to kiss Chloe.

"Thank you for coming to this with me," Max said after resurfacing. "I know dorky parties are probably not your favorite pastime."

"Oh, shut up." Chloe snatched the captain's hat from Max's head. "You could invite me to watch paint dry or go to the DMV and I'd tag along like the sad little puppy I am." She stood up and finally began to pull some pants on, ignoring Max's dramatic sighs of grief as she did so. "Hey," she turned to the brunette. "Know what today is?"

"Friday." Max responded.

"Friday, right. But also...our one week anniversary!" She held her hands up as if to say 'surprise!' She snickered. "Usually one week is like, whatever, but now that I know how hard it is to actually _complete_ a week, I think it's kind of cool. And of course, it's a week with you, my sexy, little indie kitten." She held a hand out, which Max took, and pulled her to her feet.

_I forgot how fast time goes by when you're not constantly reversing it._

"One week!" Max cheered. "We're awesome. But I didn't even get you anything," she said sarcastically. Chloe laughed, picking up a bow that sat with the rest of their costume adornments. She carefully placed it on Max's head.

"Well, would you look at that!" She gasped excitedly. "I want this one!" She snaked one finger into the waist of Max's pants, the tip of her finger creeping against her underwear, and reeled her closer. "Can I unwrap it later?" She asked, her voice husky. Max felt the familiar feeling of her cheeks growing hot, but she managed to will it away.

"If you behave," she whipped back.

"Well, that's no fun at all," Chloe groaned. "Fine."

"Okay, dork, let's finish getting dressed. It's almost time to party!" She used her best 'shaka brah' tone. She tried to move toward her bed but was anchored to her spot. She looked down and sighed. "Uh, Chlo?"

"What's up?" The blue haired girl asked innocently.

"Could you...let me go?" Chloe's finger remained interlocked with Max's pants. She huffed, releasing the smaller girl from her grasp.

"No fun at all," she repeated, pouting.

* * *

"Can Kate come out to plaaaaaaaaay?!" Chloe shouted as she banged on her door.

"Calm down!" Max pleaded, holding her hands up. "You're going to wake the dead!"

"Good, those fuckers are lazy," Chloe growled, slowing her pounding to a light tapping. "Kaaaaate," she cooed. "Come out, come out wherever you are." Max shook her head, hiding her laughter.

_Big ol' blue pirate, what a dork._

Chloe wore the large captain hat with several half burnt wicks peeking from underneath. She had a long, worn out, red double breasted military jacket, fitted with a seemingly infinite amount of buckles, and underneath she wore a tattered v-neck. For pants, she just wore a black pair of slacks, making sure to tear one the legs where her normal boots resided. A plastic rapier attached to her belt completed the ensemble.

As for Max, her outfit was less grandiose, since Chloe had decided she was the captain. This was totally fine with her...she was more than happy to be the sidekick for a change. She had wrapped a blue bandana that had become a little too cozy with bleach around her head. She was also sporting an eye patch, though she had been keeping it on the space above her left eye, complaining about her depth perception. She wore suitably scruffy knee breeches to compliment her striped shirt, though like Chloe, she still wore her casual sneakers. The two had acquired most of these clothes from a seasonal, Halloween thrift shop that was only open from September to November. When Max had asked what it was for the rest of the year, the punk simply shrugged.

"Oh my gosh," Kate scolded as she opened the door. "You're being so loud!" Her jab missed its mark, however, as both girls stared at her in awe. Kate was dressed as Alice of Wonderland fame, and to Max's surprise, her hair was down. She had never noticed just how long it was before.

"Kate, you look incredible," the brunette said, prompting a small smile from the girl.

"Agreed, wowser central!" Chloe added, holding two thumbs up.

"Thank you, guys," Kate blushed. "Can you guess who I am?" She held her arms out and twirled in place causing two plastic chains, one cuffed from each wrist, to spin with her.

"Alice in Wonderland!" Max guessed confidently.

"Halfway." Kate smiled, wiggling her hand left and right. Chloe's eyes went wide.

"Oh! Holy shit, Alice _in chains_!" The punk hopped up and down excitedly, pointing to the chains. "That is fucking sick! I neeeever pegged you for a grunge fan." She turned to Max and grinned, gesturing at Kate. "I love this girl!" Max laughed and nodded her head in agreement.

_Is this forreals? No way Kate is into them..._

"I love them!" Kate beamed. She noticed Max's confusion. "You didn't think I just listened to like, choir music all day did you?" The brunette tilted her head in thought, embarrassed that she kind of...did. "I'm only teasing, Max. The truth is, I just recently started listening to them, you know, when I was kind of...down." She scrunched her lips to the side. "But, now that I'm better, I still like it."

"Kate's ready for the mosh pit, Max! What's taking you so long?" Chloe snuggled in next to Kate, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as Max stuck her tongue out. Kate's eyes immediately filled with fright.

"Oh...no. No, thank you. Please don't make me mosh people." She shook her head slowly, a faraway fear in her eyes. "I'd be trampled." Chloe burst into laughter, rocking back and forth with Kate.

_She is too sweet...both of them, really. But...siiiiigh, my Chloe. Be still my beating heart._

Max hadn't really thought about how Chloe would integrate into her small group of friends, which until recently, had basically just included Kate and Warren. To her surprise and relief, the punk was extraordinarily friendly toward Kate without sacrificing her personality. She still swore, smoked and acted like a maniac around her, but it was undeniable that she was exuding some kind of protective aura regarding the girl. Max had found all of this out when the three of them got tea together...well, Max and Kate got tea. Chloe chose to inhale three cups of coffee.

Chloe's brief interaction with Warren had gone just as well, though they had some common ground since both were aware of the whole time travel debacle - something Warren referred to as Timegate2013. Unlike with Kate, Chloe had a more natural, 'I'm-going-to-make-fun-of-you' approach with Warren, who took it in stride. Chloe had joked to Max beforehand that she was going to 'ravish' her in front of Warren, just to make some things clear, though thankfully this never happened. She did feel slightly nervous when Chloe pulled Warren away for a moment to have a hushed discussion ultimately resulting in the two exchanging numbers. _Probably to keep tabs on my insanity..._ Max thought.

"I'm glad you're coming out with us," Max said, putting a hand on Kate's shoulder. "I know parties might seem...kind of scary these days."

"But we'll be with you," Chloe added, fidgeting with the buckle on her belt. She glanced up to give Kate a reassuring smile.

"You two are so precious," Kate giggled before her expression shifted. "I feel kind of bad. Dana made such a big deal about no drinking or drugs at the party...I know some people aren't going to go now."

"Fuck 'em," Chloe stated plainly.

"Gonna have to agree with my foulmouthed girlfriend on this one," Max said, shrugging. "It's not your fault...I mean, why did the Vortex Club parties even _have_ alcohol?" Kate frowned but eventually nodded her head in agreement. "Now, I have an idea!" The brunette dug through her bag, which admittedly clashed with her costume, and pulled out her camera. "How about the three of us be vain, vapid...vicious teenagers and take a selfie?"

"I ain't vain," Chloe scoffed, wrapping an arm around each of the girls and pulling them closely together.

"I'm a little vain," Kate laughed, brushing some hair out of her face. "Also, good alliteration."

"Thanks!" Max held the camera out. "Say 'Happy Hella-ween!'" And the camera clicked.

* * *

"I'm just saying, Max wouldn't saw my leg off and now my costume is way less accurate," Chloe complained to Kate.

"I don't think pirates had peg legs en masse!" Max argued. "Where are you even getting your pirate facts?!"

"Hey! You shush!" Chloe poked Max's cheek. "I'm talking to Kate." She turned her nose up at Max. "Do you see what I put up with? And I did the _loving_ thing and cut her eye out." Kate snickered behind her hand as Max faked a scowl.

_It's so cute how she includes Kate._

"I think this is our stop," Chloe said as the three reached the gymnasium doors. Music that sounded submerged in water leaked out from inside the building causing the punk to roll her eyes. "Shitty music fo' days," she bemoaned. She stopped to survey Kate, who seemed to be huddled in on herself. "You okay?"

"I'm okay," she assured, though Max could tell it was mostly for herself.

Chloe pulled open the door, unleashing the torrent of dance music. Max interlocked their arms, with Chloe giving her a bright smile in response.

_Jesus, that smile. Maybe she **will** be unwrapping something tonight._

"Come on, ladies." The punk shifted her arm so that her and Max's hands were clasped and she grabbed Kate by the wrist. She grinned. "I have two dates tonight! Look at me!" Max smiled, feeling her heart swell with Chloe's happiness.

The basketball court, where the party was being hosted, seemed much less occupied than the pool from the End of the World Party. Max initially felt bad that maybe Dana's hard stance against alcohol had caused too much distaste with their peers.

_Still, that's so cool of her to do to make Kate feel safe and welcome._

Her frown faded when she saw Dana in a rather stereotypical, risque cat costume dancing by the snack table, not losing any momentum as she poured chips into a basket. Pulling the other two girls with her, Max headed over to her.

"Dana!" She said with a raised voice. "We made it!" The cheerleader turned to face them, a giant grin appearing on her face.

"Max! And you brought your bitch!" Dana wrapped Max in a hug, with Chloe giving her an amused look over Dana's shoulder. She gave the punk a hug as well, catching her off guard. Then she turned to Kate. "Kate! I'm SO glad you came!" More slowly and with hesitation, she moved to embrace her also. Kate returned the gesture, clearly feeling grateful for the affection. "You guys look so fucking cute!" She said, breaking the hug with Kate. Chloe smirked at that, proud of her and Max's costumes.

"Uh, not to be a dick, Dana..." Max said. "Where is everyone? I know we're a little early but you did say 7:30 right?" The cheerleader clasped her wrist and slowly pulled her away from the other girls, leaving them confused.

"Well, I did say 7:30...to you guys. The party doesn't really start until eight. I just wanted to..." She looked at Kate, her facing flickering sadness. "I wanted to make it easier for her. If it was less crowded when she got here, maybe it'd make her more comfortable." Max smiled at the thoughtfulness.

"That's so sweet of you, Dana. I think she's okay. We're going to watch her, make sure she's good." She glanced at Kate, who was again laughing at something Chloe was saying.

"Maaaaaax," a voice came from behind her as an arm was slung over her shoulder. "What's good?" She turned to find Trevor smiling goofily, wearing an identical cat costume to Dana's, whiskers and all. The only difference being his clothes weren't as tight.

"Wow, great costume," Max laughed.

"I know, right? Total coincidence too!" He pointed at Dana. "She wouldn't change! I was ready first!" Dana rolled her eyes, ladling punch into two solo cups.

"Such a smartass," she droned.

"Yeah, I have one of those," Max remarked as the three of them regrouped with Chloe and Kate. Dana excitedly held out a cup for each of the girls. Chloe nodded, taking it and taking a big gulp. Kate just sort of stared at it, a sense of unease growing on her face. She began fidgeting with her hands.

"Hey," Dana said. "It's okay, I promise. Just punch! Unless you don't like cherry...that might be an issue, I guess."

"No, sorry," Kate said, taking the cup. "I love cherry."

Much in line with Dana's plan, the guests came in a slow trickle. The 'core' group remained Max, Chloe, Kate and Trevor while Dana enthusiastically skated around greeting everyone. Eventually, Justin arrived and pulled Trevor away, leaving the three girls to their own devices. Kate remained in high spirits as Chloe did her best to keep her attention, constantly cracking jokes and telling amusing stories. Max stayed quiet for the most part, mostly executing an eye roll when something Chloe said was inappropriate or overly embellished.

_This is...nice, actually. And Chloe is being so hella adorable with Kate._

"Dude," Chloe shouted into Max's ear, causing the girl to wince. "Where's Warren? I wanted to show him my Cap'n Price costume!"

"Weeeellll," Max snickered, "he and Brooke are finally Going Ape tonight!" She took a sip from her cup, waggling her eyebrows.

"Ooooh la la!" The punk wriggled her fingers. "Wonder if the dork is going to get lucky. God knows that kid could use some."

"Gross, let's not," Max responded. "But _maybe_ someone else will hit a lucky patch tonight." Chloe chuckled absentmindedly before fully realizing what Max said. Even in the dimmed room with flashing lights, Max could see her blush.

_Where did that come from, Max?_

"You guys are weird," Kate teased, emerging after accidentally hiding behind Chloe's height. Max laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'm going to get some more punch. Do you guys want anything?" After a 'no' from both, she pranced away to the table.

_Totes forgot you were there for a sec, Kate._

"You are corrupting my baby," Chloe chided, sliding up next to Max. "She can't hear that nonsense." Max rose on the tips of her toes and gave her a thoughtful kiss.

"You are incredible. Thank you for being so sweet with her." The brunette felt her hands searching for Chloe's waist completely on their own accord.

"Of course," Chloe said casually. "She's ridiculously precious, like a little toy or something." She felt Max's hands on her waist and reciprocated, moving in closer so they were pressed together. "Well don't you seem pretty frisky?"

"Oh do I? That's a bit presumptuous," Max shot back.

"God," the punk said, her eyes scanning over Max. "You are so fuckin' sexy right now. I could completely maul you." She giggled, thinking for a moment. "I think I might be into pirates."

"Into pirates or just into me?" She felt herself sway back and forth, her hips slowly grazing against Chloe's.

"Oh, I'm definitely into you. We could even make that literal, if you wanted..." Chloe bit her lip then descended upon Max, ravenously clamping her teeth on Max's bottom lip.

"Wooooah, cool off, you two!" Dana interjected, fanning herself with a smile.

_Dana. Fuck off. Go away. Go. Flee. Fly you fool!_

"I know I throw a killer party, but remember that there are teachers around." She pointed across the room to Ms. Grant. "How about you guys come and actually dance for minute?"

_Dance? Oh...I forgot about the whole DANCING thing._

"Uh, I don't know, Kate is..." Max stammered.

"Kate is over there, yanno, dancing!" Dana shouted as she pointed at Kate barely gyrating with Justin and Trevor, an embarrassed look on her face. Max flashed Chloe big 'please don't make me' puppy eyes. The blue haired girl thought for a moment, grinned and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Maximo, let's dance." She stormed out onto the court, dragging her through the crowd. Max glanced behind her to see Dana waving emphatically, perhaps even offering a glimpse of smarmy guilt.

_I can't dance. Icantdance!_

Once they were sufficiently nestled in a crowd of students, many of which Max had never even spoken to, Chloe whipped around and jerked Max close to her body. Grinning wickedly, she tightly grabbed Max's ass as she began to dance, quickly sneaking in a quick nip at her neck.

"Camouflage," she shouted into Max's ear, drifting up from her bite. The brunette watched as the punk pirate's hips swayed to the music, her hands slowly tangling with the air. She looked like an absolute miracle, the composition of beauty Max never thought possible. Chloe returned the gaze, a playful smile on her face. She mouthed something to Max, but she couldn't make it out. Breathing out her self-consciousness, she began to dance, moving even closer to Chloe.

"I don't know what you said," she told her, struggling to find any sense of rhythm. Her eyes followed the blue haired girl's hips like a pendulum. Entranced, her body naturally began to mimic the motions, all while her mind raced in seventeen directions. Chloe came closer, slowly snaking her arms over Max's shoulders as she brought their waists together.

"I said..." she began, her voice loud but carrying the sincerity of whisper, "I want to fuck you." Max felt something shift in her stomach, envisioning a thousand blue butterflies spiraling into a void of yearning, Ode to Joy blaring in the background.

_Guh buh whaaa?_

Without realizing it, she was actually pronouncing her stammer, but thankfully Chloe silenced her bumbling with a wet kiss. Again they were pulled closer together, something Max wasn't even sure was possible. Like the closer they became, the more room there was to keep going. The punk slowly slipped one foot between Max's, pressing her thigh gently into the brunette's pelvis. She shivered, clawing into Chloe's jacket. The punk's tongue tangled with hers, and she felt another firm grasp of her ass.

A change in songs caused the two to finally unwind, Max staring dumbfound while Chloe proceeded with her inviting eyes and smile. As the blur around Chloe began to fade, she noticed several people watching them with expressions varying from ' _niiice_ ' to _'NIIIIIIIIIICE!_ ' She squeaked in embarrassment and shielded her face. Chloe, on the other hand, actually high-fived one of the gawking guys. She grasped Max's hand and leaned down to her ear.

"You wanna get out of here?" Each syllable felt like a spark in Max's head as her breath lapped at her ear. She couldn't form words – it just wasn't going to happen – so instead she nodded, giant blue eyes gazing upon an angel. Chloe pumped her first excitedly and locked their fingers together. "We should check on Kate before we leave though," she said.

The two maneuvered through the crowd searching for Kate, who was no longer with Justin and Trevor. A small panic began to seep into Max's skin, slowly replacing the buzz instilled by Chloe. Thankfully, they spotted her, still dancing in a meek and gentle way, though the interesting part was who she was with...

_Victoria?!_

Kate stood in a small circle with Victoria, Courtney and Taylor as they all danced. Chloe placed a hand on her shoulder, somehow ignoring the oddity in front of her.

"Hey pumpkin," Chloe said, smiling at Kate. "Max and I are gonna bail...are you okay?" She glanced at the other three girls, Victoria being the only who stopped dancing.

"I'm good! I think I'll stay a bit longer and hang out with Vic!" Her pace became a touch more frantic, looking more like she was jogging in place than actually dancing. She noticed, and blushed a little as she calmed back down. "Thank you guys so much for convincing me to come! I'm actually having a really great time!" She bared her teeth in a tragically innocent smile. She roped Max and Chloe into a big hug, her feet still twitching with movement.

"Anytime, Kate," Max said. The joy she felt at seeing Kate not only happy but genuinely having a good time was something she would cherish forever. After breaking the hug, Kate moseyed back over to Taylor and Courtney. Victoria stood in front of them with her arms crossed, staring with a miniscule smirk.

"So, what are you two going to do?" She asked Max, her voice lighthearted but accusatory.

"Each other," Chloe interrupted, playfully squeezing Max by the shoulders and excitedly pushing her forward. "Also, hi, I'm Chloe...we've probably met before, right? I dunno. Don't be a bitch to Kate. I'll literally fucking stab your throat. But I don't dislike you, you seem cool." Her voice grew in volume as her and Max moved further away, though her tone was remarkably friendly. "Just like, forreal, don't be shitty to her. I'll eat your heart. Okay, so lovely talking-slash-meeting you, must go now!" All Max could do was chuckle and wave.

* * *

"Did you really just tell Victoria you would, and I quote, 'fucking stab her throat?'" Max laughed as the two of them crossed the courtyard.

"No idea, my mouth was on autopilot," the punk stated, wrapping her arm together with Max's. "Sexy Max fog kind of clouding my judgment. You made me threaten a girl's life?"

The daze Max had initially felt when Chloe had uttered her desires to her was finally clearing, replaced with a nervous but insurmountable excitement and happiness.

_Is this really going to happen? It's really going to happen! Oh god, oh fuck._

"You totally caved," she sneered. Chloe returned a confused look. "I won the teasing game! You _totally_ caved first! Oh man, you are my _bitch_." Her pace moved to a skip as she clumsily dragged Chloe behind her.

"Yeah, yeah," the blue haired girl said dismissively, laughing a bit as she tried to keep up. "The problem is you don't fucking know how attractive you are. That's dangerous. Like..." She caught up to Max, matching her stride. "You and your dorky little hipster shtick, fucking melts my knees, man. Beautiful, gorgeous eyes. Incredible ass!" She laughed when she noticed Max grow red and instinctively shield her face. "And those freckles! Arrrgh! Irresistible. You're a goddamn bombshell and you don't even know it!"

"Shut up!" Max snipped as she came to a halt, spinning toward Chloe and whacking her on the shoulder. "That's so not true, you're just being a sweet talker."

"Uh huh, see! SEE! You don't even know!" She poked Max's chest accusingly, a big smile on her face. Her eyes scanned her up and down. "Don't even know that you are the most beautiful thing on this planet."

"You...really think that, don't you?" Max asked, her voice a small whisper. "That seems so crazy to me..."

"Crazy is _kinda_ our thing," Chloe reminded. "Crazy is at the center of everything right now. Crazy, wonky, batshit insane. We are young, in love and guess what? We're fucking lunatics! We are dressed in thrift store pirate gear racing back to your dorm at your elitist art school so we can fuck after five years and one nonexistent week's worth of pent up, growing, psychotic love. So, yes, you are B-E-A-UTIFUL." She took both of Max's hands and hopped in place. Max giggled, eying her girlfriend with a gaze bursting with love.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this excited," she said, pulling one of Chloe's hands to her lips. The girl grinned back, her tongue between her teeth.

"Cuz I'm gon' get some from the girl I love," she said, wrapping Max in a hug. That sentence in particular finally started the nervous churning in her stomach.

_Oh no, I'm going to suck at this. What if I'm not any good? What do I even DO?!_

"Well hello, young Max," Samuel said, appearing from the shadows of the pathway. Both girls jumped at his sudden appearance, with Chloe letting out a small shriek.

_Jesus CHRIST, Samuel!_

"Sorry." He held his hands up. "Samuel didn't mean to scare you. Just on the way to the gym to clean up stomach bile."

"Probably someone that pre-gamed," Chloe said, recovering from her shock. He turned to her slowly.

"Hello, Ms. Price. I hope you are doing well. Your blood was hard to clean up." He smiled at her in his creepy but...sort of(?) endearing way. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Max, as if asking 'did I hear that correctly?'

"I'm pretty good, thanks... Sorry about the, uh, blood. I...guess." She removed the pirate hat and scratched at her hair nervously.

"It's Samuel's job," he stated simply. "Have to clean all spills." He sighed longingly for a moment. "Oh, Max?" He regarded her curiously.

"What's up?" She asked, straining a smile.

_Samuel, you're cool, but I'm kind of in the middle of something!_

"The squirrels told me to thank you on their behalf." He removed his glasses and began to wipe them against the cloth of his shirt. Max shot Chloe an amused look.

"Thank me for what?" She chuckled. "Did I leave some food outside?" He shrugged.

"They were afraid all of their nuts would be washed away in the storm," he said. Max felt her blood turn frigid.

_What the...fuck..._

"What?" She asked, incredulous. "What did you say?" She felt Chloe's hand on her shoulder, but it dissolved into nothingness.

"Samuel doesn't know what they mean, he just listens." He began to look around absentmindedly. Max's insides felt as though they were crumbling, swirling into a fiery maw. Her envisioned butterflies from earlier caught fire, disintegrating into a twisting mass of wind. Her mouth felt dry, her vision blurring behind what she assumed to be tears. Samuel began to walk away, humming to himself. He stopped again, and regarded her with concern. "The Tobanga looks at you funny, Max." And just like that, he resumed his humming, lazily pulling himself toward the gym.

She watched a swath of blurred blue appear in front of her as she felt something that someone, somewhere might describe as the sensation of touch. Her feet began moving, awkwardly stumbling forward as Chloe dragged her by her shirt. A muffled, fragmented version of her name pounded relentlessly on her eardrums, being drowned out by the sinister scream of wind. She swallowed, tasting the metallic quality of her blood as it trickled down her lip and into her mouth.

" _It's okay, baby...just hold on..."_ A voice echoed through the storm as her vision swerved in and out of clarity. She saw a hand with blue fingernails press something soft and white under her nose. _"Stay with me, Max...come on, just a little bit further..."_ Max could make out the shape of the dorm as it approached. Listlessly, she let her head dangle, her sight clearing as the Tobanga stared down at her.

"Leave me alone..." she muttered quietly, her gaze meeting the carved, crazed stare of the statue. She reached out, her right hand tingling with the expectancy of rewind. "Just leave me alone," she begged in a whisper as the moonlight faded, replaced with the artificial light of the dorm hallway.

" _Almost there, Max. Stay with me. I need you."_

* * *

Max flopped onto her bed as Chloe slammed the door to her room. The tissue clung to the drying blood on her lips.

"Baby, come on, we're fine. We're in your room," the punk pleaded as she climbed onto the bed. She dragged Max into her lap, peeling the bloody tissue from her face and replacing it with a new one. "Fuck, fuck!" A small pocket pack of tissues fell from her grasp, bouncing across the floor. "Max, are you in there?" She was crying, her tears dripping from her cheeks and onto Max's.

The roaring tornado scraped along Max's thoughts, stinging her every breath with all the familiarity of a syringe. She could see Chloe, hear her words, but it was as if she was in a different place. She felt Chloe's lips in her hair, her grip around her tightening.

_Please, someone...make it stop..._

As if waiting for that exact command, a quick image of a doe flickered in her mind. It was gone instantly, taking the storm with it. Her breathing began to slow down as the weight on her chest receded. She curled her tongue in her mouth, testing it to see if it would be able to form words. The taste of blood was so strong, as though it was the only thing she could ever remember tasting.

"Chloe..." She rasped, reaching up to touch the girl's cheek. Chloe blinked, shaking tears from her lashes. She pulled Max into a sitting position in her lap, wrapping her arms around her increasingly tight.

"Jesus Christ, Max, don't do that to me," she begged, kissing the girl's cheek over and over. She gritted her teeth, eliciting a tight grinding noise. "Fucking creepy ass janitor, what the fuck," she spat. Max shifted in her lap, thrusting her head forward so their lips met.

"I'm sorry," she said as she pulled away. "I don't...know what the fuck happened." Her brow furrowed as she began to cry, tears continuing to tear down her eyeliner. "How did he know? _How?_ That can't be possible!" Chloe feverishly wiped at Max's tears before dabbing at the last of the blood on her lips.

"I don't know, I don't know," Chloe whispered as she chased more tears away. She suctioned Max into a bear hug, rocking gently from side to side. "You're okay, you're okay. I'm here. We're okay."

"Are we?" She asked bitterly. "Are we okay, Chloe? Because something is still very, _very_ wrong!" She pressed her face into Chloe's chest and released a muffled scream. The punk lowered her chin onto the top of Max's head, clenching her eyes shut to stop any tears.

_I can't TAKE THIS ANYMORE!_

"We're together," Chloe said quietly. Max didn't say anything, instead opting to cry into Chloe's shirt. She felt Max's breath speed up, feeling the small girl's body tremble with anxiety. A loud sob sprang from her chest. The blue haired girl glanced around the room nervously, not knowing what the hell she was meant to do. Like a roulette wheel, her eyes passed over different spots several times before landing on the overnight bag she had brought with her. She sighed and closed her eyes, wondering if she was about to suggest something incredibly stupid or offensive. "Hey, Max. Babe." She pried the girl off of her and stared in her eyes. "Look, I have an idea but I don't want you to take it the wrong way."

"O...okay..." She breathed quickly, her eyes darting around in search of sanctuary. Her fingers tunneled through the waves of her sheets, clutching them until her knuckles burned white. Chloe slid out from under her and sprang to her feet, yanking off her jacket and throwing it at the bottom of the door. She stomped it into the crack, insulating the room. Then, she scurried over to the window and opened it slightly, running her hand on the sill to gauge if it was open 'enough.'

Grimacing, she dug through her bag, pulling out a bowl with a psychedelic design. She hurriedly packed it, cursing to herself when she dropped some onto the floor. She turned to Max.

"Alright, sweetness, I want you to take a hit of this. Or two. Or ninety." She handed the bowl to Max, who stared at it confusedly.

"...weed?" She asked disapprovingly. Chloe flailed her hands.

"I'm not...like, okay, I'm not just trying to get you stoned in a 'fuck this, I don't want to deal with it' kind of way. But you're _freaking_ out and I can't bare to see you like this." She sat down next to her. "If you just try it, it'll chill you out. You know it did last time. I'm not dodging...we can talk about it, I just want you to be more comfortable before we get into it any further."

Max scowled, then nodded. Chloe quickly showed her how to hold it and how it worked, finally lighting it once Max had it situated correctly. The brunette closed her eyes tight and pulled in the smoke.

* * *

Max sighed into the carpet, lying flat on her stomach. Chloe sat next to her, rubbing her back comfortingly. She lifted her head, letting her chin rest on the floor.

"Keep calm and carry on," she muttered, prodding the rug with her index finger. "What are we going to do, Chloe?"

"We're going to get through it. I don't...know anything past that, unfortunately. But I know we'll get through it. I trust that, at the very least." Her hand moved from Max's back to her head, letting her fingers dance along her scalp.

"How could Samuel know?" She asked, shifting her head around Chloe's fingers.

"Any chance that he's just...fucking crazy and got lucky?" She bit her lip. "Lucky's not the right word, but you know what I mean."

"I wish I could believe that..." Max said. "But it's too much of a coincidence. I mean, maybe _he_ doesn't know but...then what the fuck does that mean? Squirrels _actually_ talk to him? I kind of thought that was just a personality quirk." She rolled over, staring up at the ceiling. "Hey, Chloe?"

"Hm?" The punk reclined next to her, still playing with her hair.

"How come you're not smoking?" She regarded her curiously.

"Because it's not 'Chloe get stoned' time, it's 'make Max comfortable' time," she said, peppering kisses onto Max's cheeks.

"You're perfect," Max said, flopping one hand above her listlessly. It made contact with something small and spongy. She brought the object to her face, seeing that it was the pocket pack of tissues. "Where did you even get these?" She asked.

"I've been carrying them around. Break in case of nosebleed, kinda." The punk scooted closer to Max, tangling their legs together. Max smiled calmly, stroking some hair out of Chloe's face.

_So damn perfect._

"Max," she began, looking concerned. "Whatever that was...it's over for now. But I want you to know. Like..." Her eyes grew glassy as her lip quivered. "I _need_ you to know that whatever is going on, we'll get through it. We'll fucking beat it. We're invincible. I will do everything I can to make sure you feel safe." Max rolled on top of her and brought their lips together, inhaling the 'oof' from Chloe. "You taste like weed and blood," Chloe laughed lightly. The brunette sighed, resting her head on the girl's chest.

"Don't know how you're putting up with this," she mused quietly. Chloe made a 'tsk' sound as she snuggled Max.

"I'm alive because of you, Max." She shook her head. "No, I'm alive _for_ you. I really don't care if I have to fight Father Time or the Grim Reaper or fucking, I dunno, the Cloverfield monster...but I _will_ protect you with every ounce of my strength. I've got an okay jab, but man, my right hook is something _wild_."

"You're such a dork," Max whispered, finally unleashing a grin. "Sorry my time trauma ruined the mood."

"Literally not at all important right now," Chloe said, nuzzling her cheek with Max's. "Besides, I'll just take care of it after you fall asleep." Max's eyes went wide.

"Whaaaat no dude I wanna..." She yawned, curling up on top of Chloe. "Wanna do it or whatever."

"You're like a cat right now," Chloe laughed. She flung one hand to her side, catching Max's bedsheets and yanked them down on top of them.

"Something, something pussy joke," Max yawned, her words slurring. Chloe chuckled.

"Good night, beautiful. I love you," she said, kissing the top of Max's head. The small girl fell asleep instantly, drained from several different layers of intensity. Chloe clutched her, staring at the ceiling, her mind in a faraway place. "Love you, love you, love you..." she whispered to the quietly snoring girl. "You mean the world to me."


	15. Talking Shit About A Pretty Sunset

Her eyes snapped open, a sharp intake of breath charging her lungs. She was immediately overcome with the taste of blood and marijuana. She narrowed her eyes, sighing out a disgusting breath. She fidgeted, noticing that she was now in her bed, and more importantly, alone. She pouted.

_She's gone? But..._

Continuing to shift around, she felt something plasticky against her arm. Examining the object, she couldn't help but grin. It was a photo of her asleep with a blue nailed finger under her nose; a tiny, squiggle mustache was drawn on the finger. In the white space on the Polaroid, the words 'mm, yes quite' were written. As she sat up, she noticed there were several more sprinkled around. One by her feet; it was a picture of Chloe sticking her tongue out with her pirate hat on. The white space said 'i've come for dat booty!' One on her hip; a full body image of Chloe pointing at Max's mirror with an excited, open mouthed smile. The caption here read 'mirror mirror on the wall im the hella sexiest punk of all!' She excitedly got up from the bed to look at the ones sprawled across the floor.

_Only Chloe could eat through my film and come out unscathed._

One of the photos had Max sleeping, the comment reading 'here we have the maxmius rex in her natural habitat,' the other was simply a picture of her guitar with the message 'play me!' written on it. Max chuckled, shaking her head. Then she noticed another one face down a bit further away. Curiously, she picked up the photo and immediately blushed. Chloe's face was mostly cropped out with only her thick, smirking lips peeking in from the top of the frame. The majority of the photo was a crystal clear shot of her shirtless chest, the bullet from her necklace nestled neatly in her cleavage. Max ran a finger over the photo, feeling her insides twist with want. She had never in her life felt real, surging hatred for an article of clothing, but in that moment Chloe's bra was _really_ driving her mad. The caption in the white space said 'DARE YOU TO PUT THIS ONE ON YOUR WALL.'

_She's going to kill me, oh god. She's going to make me combust with love. Maybe that's what spontaneous combustion is!_

Gathering all of the photos, she sat on her bed, shuffling through them as her smile grew and grew. She snatched her phone from the dresser, hoping to see a message from her girlfriend. Chloe hadn't sent anything, but she _had_ received a selfie of Kate lying in bed with a sleepy smile. The attached text read 'Ty SO much for convincing me to go tonight! I had so much fun!' She was even kind enough to include some kiss face and sleepy emojis. That made Max happy, at least.

_Though...she was hanging with Victoria and company. Definitely have to find out more about that later._

Max tapped on Chloe's picture and began to type – 'Where are you? Wish you were here...' Before she could hit send, she heard something thud against her door and the sound of a heavy paper bag falling to the ground.

"Well fuck you too, McDonald's," a muffled voice came from behind the door. "You can run all you want but you're gonna end up in my belly." Max cracked a devious smile and hopped off of her bed.

_This should be...well, Priceless._

The door swung open, Chloe holding the bag of food between her clamped lips while she carried a tray of coffee in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. The bag slipped from her mouth and crashed back onto the floor as she stared at Max, who was holding her shirt up, slowly wiggling her hips. A red shade bloomed on her cheeks as she clumsily searched for the door with her foot, slamming it once she finally found it.

"Morning!" Max greeted cheerily, letting her shirt fall back into place. The punk stared at her, speechless, before hatching an evil smirk of her own.

"So I guess you got my pictures," she said, setting the coffee in the nook of Max's dresser and dropping the plastic bag. The brunette couldn't help but smile at Chloe standing there in her pirate gear, only with a beanie instead of captain hat.

"Oh, pictures?" Max asked, playing it cool. Chloe laughed and bit her lip.

"Get over here," she commanded, pointing to the ground directly in front of her. The brunette slowly traipsed toward her, her hands behind her back innocently. Chloe huffed in impatience, taking the initiative to tackle the the smaller girl onto her bed. "How's it goin', sexy?" She asked, attacking Max's neck with soft kisses. Max wriggled beneath her, giggling from her tickles.

"I'm great now," she said, tearing Chloe's beanie off of her head. "Hella fuckin' super wowsers great." She met the punk's lips with her own, pulling her tightly against her. It was the taste of Chloe's ashy coffee breath that made her recoil, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Ugh, I must taste _horrible_!" Embarrassed, she wrestled from beneath Chloe and skated over to her toothbrush. "I need to go brush my teeth," she said quickly, her expression flustered.

"If you want to, sure, but I just got us a bunch of noms and then you'd have that like, refractory period of toothpaste making things taste nasty. Besides," she stood up from the bed and scooped up her bowl, displaying it for Max proudly. "You haven't had a _real_ wake 'n bake yet! That's kinda why I brought it." She wiggled an eyebrow.

_Corruption on aisle 219!_

"Fine," Max said sternly. "Only because my toothbrush is wet and that means you used it recently."

"Oh ho, yeah, lemme twist your arm there, Maxers." Chloe chuckled as she packed it. "It'll be fun!"

"Mhm." Max glanced around the room. "I mean, are we going to get caught? It's like nine in the morning, people are still here."

"Nah." The punk waved dismissively. "I mean, maybe, but nah."

"That's comforting," Max said, sitting next to her. She laughed. "Man, you're totally turning me into a pothead." Chloe leered at her, sticking her tongue out.

"I don't think last night really counts," she said dryly, stopping to survey Max's face. "How are you feeling?"

_Bleh. BLEH. BLEEEEEH._

"Okay," she said quietly. "Was kind of hoping it was a dream but...never that easy, is it?" Chloe scoffed, nodding her head.

"These days, not even dreams are safe."

"You've had more?" Max asked, furrowing her brow. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Just two more," Chloe said, holding the bowl out to examine it. "I didn't tell you because...Christ, Max, I can't hurt you. I don't want to do anything that could trigger your shit." She looked at her. "Are you mad?"

"No." Her voice was hesitant. "Just...I dunno, I wish you didn't have to see any of it." She swallowed. "What were they?"

" _Oooone_ sec," Chloe muffled, taking a hit. Max watched the embers glow and die. She handed it to the brunette. "Um, okay, so I had one last night actually. It was just...I dunno, nothing really crazy. Just you talking to Frank and Nathan at the Two Whales. I guess it was when we were trying to get his keys?" She exhaled a steady stream of smoke, giggling at the end. "Note to self, don't fuck with Frank's beans." Max sputtered out a scattered plume of milky smoke. The room fell silent.

"Uh, Chlo? The other one?" She asked nervously, tangling their feet together. The punk sighed, sliding her head sideways and cracking her neck.

"I dunno, it was just like a fragment. It was, uh...you and David in the Dark Room." She closed one eye, focusing the other on Max. "You told him what happened and he just..." Her voice faded away.

_The Dark Room..._

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Chloe." She laced their fingers together. The blue haired girl shrugged indifferently.

"I dunno. Just wish I was the one to do it." She scowled. "Is that fucked up? After everything, I still want to kill him? And I mean, in case you were wondering, I didn't...I mean, I didn't see anything else." Max didn't say anything, instead hurriedly reaching to snatch the bowl back. She took a deep drag and exhaled.

"This is crazy," she said in a small voice, zoning out.

"But..." Chloe smiled, sliding an arm around Max. "We're together. I know, like...I _know_ I keep saying that, but it's pretty much my mantra. No matter how bad anything gets, we're together. That's amazing. I mean, yeah, we're totes fucked up. _Serious_ damaged goods." Both girls laughed. "Crazy broken!" She shouted, her laughter growing. "But we've got each other, hey? I'll be your glue if you'll be mine."

"I think I can work that," Max said. "I do hope you're the edible kind, though." Max flashed a toothy grin. Chloe squawked in laughter, waving away smoke with her hand.

"That was the _worst_ pickup line I have ever heard!"

"Oh, will you shut the fuck up and kiss me?" The brunette said, pulling Chloe's collar until their lips met.

* * *

"That's such bullshit, you literally _cannot_ like Return more than Empire," Chloe said, raising her voice. "That's not true."

"It's impossible!" Max held her arms out and cackled, waving her breakfast sandwich as she did so. "I do though! It's great. And the Ewoks are so cute!"

"Ewoks. EWOOOOOOKS!" The punk paced around the room, flailing. "You're supposed to have good taste, Little-Miss-Look-How-Hip-I-Am!" Max clutched her stomach, breathing through her hysterics.

"Seriously, it's good," Max offered through her chewing after collecting herself. "If only it had Jar Jar. Best written character." Chloe stopped and glared at her. "Kidding," she said, holding up her hands. Chloe snickered, dropping into a sitting position on the floor. She scooted over to the bed, resting her back against it. Max joined her, awkwardly sliding off of the mattress.

"Did you have like, plans today or anything?" Chloe asked, sipping from her coffee.

"My plans were going to be 'glom on to Chloe.'" Max said, wrapping both arms and a leg around the punk. "There, done!" She nuzzled into her chest. "Why, did you have plans?"

"Nope!" She beamed. "Just hang out with you. Smoke a little weed, kiss a little hottie. Maybe watch some movies, play some games." She shrugged. "I'm yours to mold," she said, her arched eyebrow offering some sort of innuendo. Max stared at her, a small smile building in her cheeks.

"I really, really love you," she said.

"And I love you," the punk responded, affectionately petting Max's hair.

"This is probably the best food I've ever had," Max said as she finished off her sandwich, feeling the filter of ditziness drape across her mind. She giggled, swiping a greasy thumb across Chloe's forehead. "Simba," she whispered. The blue haired girl scrunched her nose in disgust, wiping her head with the back of her hand.

"You're too fucking cute," she muttered, slipping from Max's grasp and flopping to the floor. "You got any tunes? It's hella quiet in here." She absentmindedly stroked the carpet with one hand, pointing at the guitar with the other. "Play dat," she demanded.

"Can't do it," Max mumbled, plucking a pillow from off the bed behind her and hugging it. "Too shy. I'm not good enough." She played with her phone for a moment, setting it down once the music began.

"Too shy? Al-Max-ander The Great, I think you've pretty much conquered that whole thing." Chloe lazily tried to sip her coffee, snickering when she made no progress because she refused to move her head. "I need like a Rube Goldberg silly straw," she quietly laughed, pushing the coffee away from her.

"I don't think I'm really over being shy," Max said, laughing at her girlfriend's A+ effort in laziness.

"Seems like it to me. Everything you did during invisible week...I dunno, remember? I even said 'you're not so chickenshit' anymore. Since we've been back, what's been your biggest goal?" She laughed lightly. "Aside from make outs, of course." Max just kind of stared at her. Chloe snorted. "Making friends! And you're good at it! You even went to a party last night. Parties are to shy people as garlic is to vampires."

"Hmmm." Max rested her chin on the pillow, squeezing it a few times. "That's crazy. All because of you. You brought it out of me," she mused.

"That I _will_ take credit for," the punk said, putting more effort into her acquirement of coffee. "Oh, dude, I love this." She pointed at Max's phone as a new song came on. " _Oh, noose..._ " she sang, closing her eyes, " _tied myself in, tied myself too tight._ " Max closed her eyes too, letting the Modest Mouse track fill the room. She ran her fingers against the pillow rhythmically, taking in the complete serenity of the moment. It was something she learned she needed to cherish, given how quickly things could whip in the other direction.

"I wonder if mice are modest, though?" Chloe asked once the song ended. Max peeked one eye open.

"Some are," she said confidently. "Except for, um, Jeravus the Cheese-Lord. He's a total dick. Rules with an iron paw." The punk began to chuckle.

"Yeah, totally, that guy is an _asshole_. Did you see the 60 Minutes about his cheese cartel? I was completely appalled." Chloe slipped one of her feet under Max's leg. "He must be stopped," she said seriously.

"Not that easy, though. The government like...on the low hired Tom, that cat from that old snuff cartoon? Not even he could catch him." She blinked and burst into laughter, causing the punk to join in. "Are we fucking stupid? I feel like I am and you definitely sound like it. I've been petting a pillow for five minutes."

"Cannabis!" Chloe managed to cheer through her laughter. After they both calmed down, she wiped away some tears – finally the _good_ kind – and shimmied around until her head was in Max's lap. She nuzzled into the girl's leg, gently kissing it. "See, this is so fun," she said quietly, "just being with you, being idiots. Reminds me of when we were kids."

"I recall only you being the idiot," Max teased. The music from her phone faded out momentarily, signaling a text message. "Heh, look at this cat picture Warren just sent me." She held the phone so Chloe could see.

"Ha! Look at that guy, sittin' there with fur and a tail. What a cutie." She yawned, quickly rubbing her face against Max's leg in an attempt to wake herself up.

"I wonder how his date went," the brunette wondered aloud. "He and Brooke are a cute couple but she is like, the saltiest chick I've ever met."

"Aw, worried about War-War?" The punk prodded. She lightly smacked Max's leg. "Tell him to come over, I kinda need to hear how smooth he definitely wasn't." Max chuckled.

"Sure, that sounds fun," she said, tapping on her phone.

"Oooh, but tell him to bring movies! And...and chips! Lots of chips. Something to snack on."

"The munchies struggle is real," Max admitted with a smile. In response, Chloe made exaggerated chomps into her leg, complete with an 'om nom nom' sound. "Alright, I invited him. He's got like, a literal fuck-ton of movies. Steals 'em all online."

"Aha! So it shall be three pirates instead of two! We'll have to haze him, of course. Swab the poop deck, clean the cannonballs, take the parrot for a walk..." She got to her knees and waddled over to the window where her bowl sat. " _Maaaaybe_ a little more smokus-pocus before he gets here?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"I would like one marijuanas, please!" Max said, raising her hand enthusiastically.

* * *

"Whoooooo is it?" Chloe shouted in response to the timid knock on the door.

"Uh, Warren?" Said the muted voice.

"What's the password!?" Max yelled, trying to keep her laughter in. She heard a long sigh.

"I brought snacks," he said dryly. Chloe's eyes bulged as she clapped excitedly.

"Correct!" She exclaimed. "Warren Graham, come on down!"

The door opened, Warren standing there with his arms full of different colored snack bags. He took one step into the room and cringed, whipping around to close it quickly.

"Are you guys getting baked in here?" He asked in a panicked tone.

"I can neither confirm or deny these accusations," Max said, hanging off her bed upside down. Somewhere in the madness, she had acquired and put on Chloe's beanie. She reached out to Warren, opening and closing her hands in a 'gimme' gesture. He handed her a bag of chips.

"Hella yes, though!" Chloe added, catching a smaller bag he had thrown to her.

"That's kinda risky isn't it? I mean..." He tried to conjure a disapproving tone, but laughed when he saw Max tear into the bag. "Okay, fine, I guess you guys do deserve to unwind rather than, yanno, rewind." He sat on the couch and looked between the two girls, both still in their costumes from the night before. "Jeez, you guys look...rough." He chuckled quietly. "No offense."

"Stop, drop, shut 'em down, open up shop," Chloe mumble-chanted as she shoved chips into her mouth.

"How was date?" Max asked through her chewing. His eyes lit up.

_She better have been nice to him! He's like a little brother...ehhh, probably don't tell him that._

"Oh, it was so awesome! I fucking love that movie, man," he said, beaming. The girls slowly looked at each other.

"Mm," Max hesitated. "Like, the Brooke part is really what I was going for."

"Oh, she was really cool. She liked it too." He furrowed his brow, confused at their lack of reaction. The girls exchanged another look, with Chloe huffing.

"Dude, didja get your dick wet or not? Tell us the details!" The punk sat on the floor, wobbling her feet side to side.

"What!? It was just the first date! I wouldn't..." He grew red and nervously scratched through his hair. "I'm not really like that," he said, trying to hide his blush.

"What a gentleman," Chloe scoffed, lifting the bag to her lips so she could consume every last crumb. Max glared at her. "That was...actually supposed to sound more genuine," she argued with her mouth full.

"Well, I'm glad you guys had a good time," Max said, adjusting the beanie. "And thank you for the snacks. You guys going to go out again?"

"I think so..." He relaxed into the couch. "That drive-in is actually no joke, you guys should go sometime. It's got like, those old fashioned personal speakers? Really retro."

"Oh my god, we should double date!" Max patted her knees excitedly. "Probably after we do something with Dana, though. She called double date dibs..." She trailed off, her eyes glazing over. "Double date dibs. Double...date dibs? That's like an ice cream isn't it?" Chloe and Warren burst into laughter.

"Maybe?" He offered, shaking his head gracefully when Chloe held out the bowl to him. "But anyways, yeah, my date went fine thank you very much." He picked up the pirate hat next to him and studied it. "How was the party? Did Kate handle everything okay?"

"It was fun," Max cheered. "And she did great! Though she slipped away from us and started hanging with Victoria. Hmph. Like we're not cool enough." She fake pouted, then giggled.

"Yeah, what was that about anyway?" Chloe asked.

"Wait, wait..." Warren interrupted. "Victoria...like, Victoria Chase? What?"

"Mhm, we're friends with her now," the brunette said, reaching for another bag.

"We are? What!? How did that happen?" He asked, an appalled look on his face. "The fuck did I miss?"

"Not a whole lot, really..." Max said. She then sighed, setting the bag away from her. "Okay, actually, something did happen." He noticed Chloe look away, a somber expression growing.

_Buzzkill mode: Activated!_

"What? Like...time stuff?" He fidgeted with his sleeve, and Max could tell he was bracing himself.

"Time stuff," she nodded. "We were on our way back and we ran into Samuel and...you know how he has that 'the squirrels tell me secrets' thing?" Warren bobbed his head. "Well, apparently they told him to thank me for stopping the storm." Chloe came and sat next to her, pulling her into a hug. "How is that possible, dude? I mean, for a variety of reasons, but how could he or...they know?"

Warren brought a hand to his head, massaging his temple with his thumb. Max hid her face in Chloe's shoulder, the punk taking the moment to make eye contact with Warren and nod. She slowly brought a finger to her nose and ran it down her lip, mouthing the word 'nosebleed.'

"Buhh...well, okay, so when you told me your story one of the things that really stuck out to me was the um, two moons?" He was frantically searching for something concrete as Chloe smiled appreciatively. "I've been doing a lot of 'research,'" he used air quotes, "on what would happen if timelines or realities clashed together." He sighed, letting his head bonk off the wall behind him. "Which of course just means I read a bunch of college essays from theoretical physics majors." He grimaced. "Man, I am seriously no help here."

"You're doing great, Nerdboy," Chloe said warmly as she rubbed Max's back. "We don't expect you to actually _know_. This is more like...a writer's pitch. Toss some stories around, have some coffee breaks, talk shit about the newest episode of Days of Our Lives at the water cooler..." She shrugged with a smirk. "Can't believe that bitch wrecked Carlos' wedding! At any rate, any and all ideas welcome at this point. Just want to figure out how to make my babygirl's nose stop bleeding..." Max looked up from Chloe's shoulder, flashing her a loving smile.

_Been a lot of 'baby' lately and I can't say I hate it._

"I know, I know," he said, sinking in the couch. "I just feel bad. I can't believe you guys trust me with this." He snickered briefly. "Which is still crazy, by the way."

"Crazy's our thing," Max interjected, with Chloe giving her a 'good girl!' look.

"What the fuck squirrels though," Warren pouted, bringing a hand under his chin. "I just thought Samuel was off...not like, cognizant of multiple universes. Or the squirrels, at any rate. So he can talk to animals?" His jaw hung open as he squinted at Max. "Dude, Arcadia Bay is seriously whacked out. I kind of expect a bald dude in a wheelchair to roll in any second and whisk you away."

"Not without a fight," Chloe laughed, raising her fist. "We could take him, right Warren?"

"Before or after he telepathically lobotomizes us?"

"Mmn, I would definitely prefer before but I guess beggars and choosers, all that." Chloe placed a kiss in Max's hair. "How are you feeling?" She asked her.

"I'm stoned," she said, swaying her head back and forth. "I don't know, it's over for now. I guess at some point I'll try and ask Samuel about it..."

"Maybe let me do that," Warren interrupted. "We should probably at least try to avoid upsetting you. Lest we awaken some other kind of superpower."

_Good...point. I need to relax. Maybe it was a freak coincidence after all._

"I agree with the Graham-Cracker," Chloe said, hopping off the bed. "If we're going to dig into this, I think he and I should be the ones to do it. Unless like, what are the chances of you being able to shoot money out of your eyes? That would be pretty cool."

"Can I control it or is it like a Cyclops situation?" Max asked, making goggles with her hands. Chloe 'hmm'd', mimicking the gesture.

"Or like, do you shoot paper bills or coins? Or what if it's not even that, you could totally monkey's paw the whole deal. What if all you can shoot are Chuck. E Cheese tokens?" Now Warren was also holding his hands up.

Chloe, still with her hands to her face, walked over to Max's desk and hooked her foot on the chair. She dragged it to the middle of the room, before moving one hand away so she could pick up Max's laptop.

"Did you bring any flicks?" She asked, setting it down on the chair so it was facing Warren. "Superhero ones, to be exact? I'm feeling superhero-y." She scooped Max off the bed, ignoring the small girl's protests, and placed her on the couch next to Warren. She slumped next to her.

"I have a few," he said, digging his flash drive out of his pocket. "Wait, do we want like...good ones or bad ones?"

"Oh, bad. Definitely bad. I'm talking like, Daredevil or-"

"Steel!" Max exclaimed, interrupting Chloe. "My dad loves that movie for some reason and now I kind of unironically love it too."

"I thought you weren't allowed to like things unironically," Chloe chided, poking Max's side and eliciting a laugh from Warren.

"I actually do have that," he said, clicking through the flash. The punk's eyes widened when she saw how much content was on it.

"Wow, you weren't kidding, Max. This thing is pretty much nerd mecca. If I buy another drive can you copy all of this stuff for me?" She gave Warren puppy eyes as if he would protest.

"Sure," he said, starting the movie. "I'm all about sharing the geekery."

* * *

"Oh awesome, Brooke wants to hang out," Warren said, tucking his phone away as the credits rolled. Max was now fast asleep, purring peacefully, not lasting more than a half hour into the movie. She lay with her head in Chloe's lap, a small puddle of drool ebbing from her lips, while one of her legs was strewn across Warren's lap. He recoiled, not for the first time. "Dude, her feet reek," he laughed quietly.

"Some people are into that," Chloe teased playfully.

"Not me," he said. "I mean, not that it's weird or wrong if you're into the foot thing. Just not my bag."

"I'm into the _Max_ thing," she laughed. She sighed, slowly running her fingers through the sleeping girl's hair. "Hey, thank you for hanging with us regarding the whole...all that shit. For even believing her."

"Pretty hard to ignore it when it physically hurts you," he said quietly. Chloe whipped in his direction, looking uncomfortable.

"Hurts you?" She asked. "It...wait, she said you got this weird feeling when she told you things, but she didn't say it hurt."

"I didn't tell her," he said, frowning. "She already seemed way too stressed. But we agreed she shouldn't tell anyone else." Chloe thought for a moment, closing her eyes.

"Man, remember when life was just...simple?" She heard him release a quiet laugh. "Doesn't last long, does it?"

"It does not," he agreed. "I don't even know how you guys are being so strong."

"I'm not," she said, her voice constricting. "Dude, I'm fucking not. I'm trying so, so hard for her, but nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing but her makes sense." She looked at him, a small tear trickling from her eye. He thought for a moment, fidgeting nervously.

"Does anything else have to?" He asked. She closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall.

"No." Her voice was leaden. "But it'd be easier. When I'm with her, everything's fine. But when I'm not, I just worry constantly. What if she gets a nosebleed and I'm not there? I have to keep her safe." She looked down at Max, her lip trembling as she touched her cheek. "She means everything to me."

"You're doing a...dude, perfect job doesn't even do it justice. With what you're actually having to deal with, you're pretty much nailing it."

"I hope so," she said. "I really hope so."

* * *

"Chloe?" Max whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey sleepyhead," the punk said, kneeling by the couch and gently brushing her cheek with her knuckles. "Have a nice nap?"

"I don't even remember falling asleep." Max shivered, sitting up. "Where's Warren?"

"Brooke wanted to hang out with him so he bailed a little while ago. Dude is totally pussy whipped." She grinned, pulling herself up onto the couch next to Max.

"Like you aren't?" The brunette asked with a smirk. She rubbed at one of her eyes.

"Touche, touche." Chloe was holding the small stack of Polaroids she had taken earlier. She flashed the risque one in front of Max, dangling it right to left like a pendulum. "You never did critique my shots," she pouted.

"Uh, an A?" Max giggled, batting her lashes as she scooted closer to Chloe.

"A!? Well, they're more like B's but..." She chuckled when Max lightly smacked her shoulder.

"Did you like the movie?" Max asked, taking a small nip at Chloe's ear.

"It was awful, I loved it," she responded. Shuffling through the photos, she stopped at the one of Max sleeping. "You know, I love this one." She turned to the brunette. "So beautiful."

"Oh stop," Max said, "but it is actually a pretty good shot. Like, technique wise."

"Yeah," Chloe laughed. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to take a good picture when your subject is just totally zonked out. It really makes up for..." Her face turned ashen. She looked at Max, her eyes wired and confused, her brows knitting together. "Fuck," she spat, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Chloe?" Max felt uneasy. "What's wrong?"

"Fuck, fuck!" Chloe cried as she sprang from the couch. "Did I really just say that? Did..." She looked at Max. "Did I _seriously_ just fucking say that? Oh my god..." She began to pace, tearing her fingers through her hair violently. She clenched a fist tightly, drawing her arm back and thrusting it toward her temple. The realization hit Max just as Chloe's hand ricocheted off of her head.

_Oh Christ, no, no..._

"Chloe!" Max shrieked, leaping from the couch and catching her wrist, preventing another strike. "Chloe, what are you doing? Don't hurt yourself!" She was already crying, digging her nails into the punk's flesh. "I know you didn't mean it like that! I know that! It's okay! It was a mistake!"

"That is _not_ an acceptable excuse, Max," she said, the words slipping through her clenched teeth. "I can't believe I would even – after all of this, after everything, I'm still a fucking idiot." She tore her arm out of Max's clutch and stomped over to the plastic bag she had returned with in the morning. She frantically pulled out yet another pack of tissues, fumbling with it as she tore it open. "Stupid bitch, you're so..." she muttered to herself under her breath.

"Chloe! My nose isn't bleeding! I'm okay!" Max screamed.

_Is she even hearing me!?_

"Well, I'm sure it'll start any fuckin' second because of my fuckin' mouth," she growled. Seeing Max stand there, one hand stretched across her body, clasping at her elbow, tears insulating her eyes... "Fuck!" Chloe cried again, flopping onto the bed. She clawed into her eyes, finally releasing a few vicious sobs.

"Chlo..." Max said quietly as she approached the girl, her arm stretched out for her.

"Is that what he did to you?!" She asked, her voice fracturing. She was crying very heard, her face bursting with scarlet. The brunette remained quiet, but stopped advancing. " **MAX!** " She yelled, clawing into her arms. "Please, answer me!"

_Should...should I...?_

Max slowly raised her hand, the knot in her stomach tightening. She swallowed, her pulse rapidly increasing.

_If I just...before she said it and change the subject..._

"Please don't," Chloe whimpered, suctioning her knees into her chest. "Please don't leave me." Her misty eyes focused on the girl's hand. It was _too_ vulnerable. Too sad. Max's heart shattered in her chest. "I can't, I just...please don't leave me..."Max's hand drooped lazily to her side. Chloe nodded, working her bottom lip with her teeth. "And I assume that's a yes," she said.

"Chloe," Max said quietly, sitting next to her. "You...I know you didn't mean it like that. It's okay. I'm not mad...I'm not even sad...and no nosebleed. Please don't beat yourself up over this." She wrapped her arms around her, pressing her forehead into Chloe's cheek. "I love you. I _love_ you, Chloe. What happened to me was bad...but it was -"

"My fault," Chloe said bitterly.

_She can't...really believe that. Can she?_

"No, god no, it wasn't your fault at all. Things just happen! One event leads to the next in a completely random and chaotic way. You _know_ that. It wasn't your fault." She grabbed Chloe's cheeks, turning her head so she could see into her eyes. "A lot of fucked up shit happened that week, Chloe. And...and, I know it's hard but I am so madly in love with you and..." Her face contorted in pain as she cried. "You cannot blame yourself. I won't let you." She pressed their lips together violently, the momentum sending Chloe onto her back.

She felt hands slide into her shirt, nails digging into her back as they were dragged back down to the waist of her pants. She pulled Chloe's tongue into her mouth, not minding the salty taste of their tears. The grip around her waist grew tighter. She wound her fingers through blue hair and tugged.

"I love you," she said, her voice sounding more like air than language.

"I love you so much," Chloe whispered, kissing her between each word, tears still rolling. Moving one hand from Max's waist, she pressed it into her cheek, restricting the girl's kisses. "Slow down," she said with a smile, her eyes cracked and glassy. Max was confused at her hesitation, but relented, opting to rest her head on Chloe's chest. "I'm sorry..." she said.

"Don't be. For anything," Max said quietly. "Ever," she added with a quiet chuckle, swiping the tip of her nose along Chloe's jaw.

"I didn't mean to have a meltdown," the blue haired girl said, her voice squeaking with emotion. "I just should have been there. I should have protected you."

"You're here now..." Max felt dizzied with mixed emotions, feeling something drain from her. Something heavy leaving through her veins. "It's funny..." she said.

_It feels...better..._

"What is?" The punk asked.

"You know how in RPGs, like...when you go to save your game, they ask you 'overwrite saved data?'"

"Yeees?" Chloe said, confusion in her tone.

"I think, I don't know...ever since then, I've been taking less photos. It felt...like, kind of ruined. I only have a few since we've been back." She moved her cheek in a circle against Chloe's collarbone.

"I noticed," Chloe admitted.

"But I think you taking those earlier, it overwrote that part of it. Like it proved that photography wasn't the enemy. Does that make sense? I dunno. It's still, well, bad. It still hurts my head to think about. But that aspect – like being really hesitant to take photos? I think I'm over that now."

"Overwrite saved data..." The taller girl mused. She smiled, bringing her arms around Max. It fell silent, with Max tracing a finger along Chloe's tattoo. "Well, hmph," Chloe sounded off abruptly.

"What?" Max asked as she noticed Chloe pouting. "What's wrong?" The punk sighed.

"I just think I deserve an A+ then."


	16. Mischief

Max looked over the bottle of shampoo in her hand before glancing back up at the rest on the shelves.

_I dunno, man. Like...cucumber hyacinth? These are like candle flavors._

"You know how, like, they have candles where the scent is 'Star Lit Pond' or 'Sunny Day With A Touch Of Manic Depression?' What is that even supposed to convey?" She asked loudly enough so Chloe could hear her in the next aisle. "That's someone's job, just coming up with ridiculous candle scents."

"Yeah," she heard Chloe say. "We should get into that. It's a lucrative business. 'Seventeen Roses And A Pickle...' What do you think of that?"

"Insta-buy for this girl," Max laughed. "What about, um, 'Grandiose Adventure to the Orients?'"

"Literally flying off the shelves," the punk said, her voice fluctuating as she moved. "'Porno Couch Leather?'" Max could her hear snickering.

"Real nice," she said dryly, putting the bottle of shampoo back on the shelf so she could examine another.

"'Fucking In A Hot Tub!'" Chloe exclaimed, following it up with a bashful "sorry, ma'am."

"You're awful," Max teased, deciding on a scent dubbed 'Mango Delight.' "I'm gonna smell like mangoes, okay? Chloe?"

"Dude, check it," Chloe said as she appeared next to Max, startling the girl. She was holding a thirty pack of toilet paper.

"Man, I told you that gas station burrito was going to haunt you later." Max flashed a wicked grin as she dropped the bottle in her basket.

"Hardy har," Chloe mocked, rolling her eyes. "It's Mischief Night, Maxaroni! We gotta tear shit up!" She stared at the basket, biting her lip in thought.

"It's not fitting in there," Max said. "And how old are you again?"

"Hey!" Chloe snipped. "Fun doesn't get old unless you let it." Max relented, nodding her head in agreement.

_A real philosopher, this one._

"Okay, but what are you trying to do? I mean, Blackwell is the only place that makes sense to TP and in case you forgot, we actually _like_ the head of security now."

"Fair point," Chloe said, deflating a little. "I dunno, I wanna do _something_. Arcadia Bay is my bitch, after all."

"I thought _I_ was your bitch." Max pouted, giving puppy eyes.

"No, you are my perfect little angel," Chloe said proudly.

"Gag," the brunette responded with a smirk, turning and walking down the aisle. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder, seeing Chloe cradle the bundle of toilet paper with her bottom lip puffed out. "Oh fine, but we're not doing anything that can get us arrested."

"Hella awesome," the punk whispered as she ran to catch up to Max.

"That'll be $24.37," the cashier said. Max began to search through her bag, but Chloe stopped her.

"I'm pay?" She asked in broken grammar, just a small fragment of the 'couple speak' that was growing between them.

"Fine, fine, you pay," Max laughed, gently squeezing Chloe's hand. The punk grinned and pulled a wad of one dollar bills from her pocket. She excitedly whipped it around, causing several to scatter and drift to the floor.

_Making it rain at the grocery store. My girl knows how to live life._

"Shit, sorry," she said as as she knelt down to collect them. "I'm not used to having money," she admitted bashfully, with the cashier giving her a rather dry 'I'm just here to make my own' look.

Chloe had been a waitress at The Two Whales for almost two weeks. To Max's, and possibly everyone's surprise, she had taken to it rather quickly. It probably helped that a vast majority of the customers were people who were there every morning for their breakfast routine, and so they already knew Chloe. Still, Max in particular had worried perhaps too much about the girl's behavior, but so far there hadn't been any problems. 'It's like acting!' Chloe had said, adding 'I always wanted to be a drama geek.' And the girl was more than happy to take cash home every night, already using her newfound income to buy flowers for Max on two separate occasions.

"So do you have a plan for this doomsday quantity of toilet paper?" Max asked as she hoisted it into the bed of Chloe's truck.

"Maybe?" She plucked a cigarette from its pack and slid it between her lips. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced up at the parking lot lights and back at Max. "Babe, you should take a selfie like, right goddamn now. You look gorgeous." Her words were constricted through her pressed lips.

"Only if you're in it," Max said, trying to hide her reddening cheeks. The punk huffed before laughing and taking her place next to the girl.

"Always some fucking caveat with you." She held her lighter, adorned with a Jolly Roger, to her ear and shook it, then lit her cigarette. "No, Chloe," she said in a mimicking tone, "we can't watch Human Centipede tomorrow night at the Halloween get together. No, Chloe, we can't tell Kate to get us holy water because vampires. Nooo, Chloe, we can't-"

" _Hey_ ," Max interrupted, whacking her on the shoulder. "Don't be mean!" The punk smirked, giving Max a small kiss on the cheek.

_Smartass. I love it._

"Just take your flippin' picture," she said coolly, taking a drag.

"You's a bitch," Max quipped as she took out her camera, hearing Chloe offer an emphatic 'mhm!' in response. She held it out and struck a pose.

In the photograph, Max smiled cheerily while holding up a peace sign with a polka dotted band-aid on her middle finger. She was wearing Chloe's beanie – something that just kind of started happening organically. Chloe had likened it to a girl wearing a guy's hoodie or letterjacket. Chloe meanwhile wasn't looking at the camera, but at Max with a proud and loving smile. Frozen smoke encapsulated their faces, giving the photo a wonderfully eerie tone that fit well with the holiday. More than anything, Max thought that she didn't look particularly attractive, which made Chloe's suggestion to even take a picture all the more sweet.

_Beauty is in the eye of the sexy, blue haired beholder, I suppose._

"I like that, looks like an album cover," Chloe said as she turned to get in the truck. "But like, some kind of whacky mash up genre..." She thought for a moment, clutching the door handle. "Like shoegazing meets K-Pop."

"What should our band name be?" Max asked as she slid into the truck. She pulled her seat belt out too quickly, causing it to stop short of buckling. She yanked it several times in frustration before conceding defeat, letting it slowly retreat back into its original position. "Shush, safety excites me," she mumbled to the grinning girl next to her.

"Uh huh," Chloe laughed. "I don't know about a band name, but I know we need to do crazy concept albums. High level shit! We'll have one called Voltron's Demise, one called It's Over But Not Until You Start..." She tilted her head toward the brunette as if asking 'how fucking cool is that?'

"You've had that second one in the chamber for a while now, huh?" Max teased, finally getting her seat belt buckled.

"I had a lot of time to think about lofty artistic endeavors I'd never pursue," the punk said. "And speaking of, how's your finger doing?" She pulled Max's hand to her lips and kissed her bandaged finger.

"S'okay," Max said. "I mean, I blame you entirely for wanting me to play guitar more, but it's okay." Chloe snickered, pushing Max's hand away from her. "I'm going to have gross fingers soon!" Max smiled, wiggling her fingers in the girl's face. The blue haired girl narrowed her eyes.

"Are you _trying_ for sleazy jokes? Because I can rattle 'em off if that's your desire."

"What?" Max asked. " _Ohhhhh_." She held her fingers up in front of her face and scowled. The punk cackled and started the truck.

_Hmm. Never thought of that._

"Innocence lost," she said, her voice buckling under the weight of the loud punk music.

* * *

"She shoots!" Chloe cried as she tossed her keys across the room. They hit her desk, sliding across it until they ended up in the trash can. Her hands flopped to her side in disappointment.

"She fails." Max wrapped her arms around the girl's waist from behind, pressing her cheek between Chloe's shoulder blades. "I still love you even if you cannot ball."

"Gee, thanks." She quickly turned in Max's arms, scooping her off of her feet with a grunt.

"I'm getting too used to this," the brunette said as Chloe cradled her. She brought her to the bed and dumped her onto her face.

"Fine," Chloe pouted. "Don't want me carryin' ya around, I won't." She flopped next to her and opened her laptop, setting it at the foot of her bed as Max scurried to the pillow. Without words, she clicked through some files on her newly acquired flash drive and hit play. She slid her chin into the crook of the girl's neck and draped her feet over Max's. Max closed her eyes.

_I love this._

"I love this," she said, deciding to make her thoughts known. Chloe shifted to her side, tracing her fingers down Max's stomach.

"You do?" She asked. "It's okay," she waved toward the laptop, "but the first three are better in my opinion." Max chuckled, letting her head bonk softly against the punk's.

"I'm not talking about Nightmare On Elm Street, which by the way, the first one is the best." She also turned onto her side, sending her fingers through Chloe's mane. "I'm talking about _this_. Us. That we have such a natural, amazing routine. I never even knew I wanted something like this until I saw you again."

"I like the third one," Chloe said, laughing as she braced herself against Max's smack. "But also, I agree. I love this. I love you. I love us." She snuggled in closer, slipping her hand over Max's waist and grabbing her butt. "I love that ass, too," she growled.

"You're crazy," Max giggled. "I don't have an ass."

"Nah, dawg." Chloe kneaded her. "It's perfect and adorable. Want it."

"You're such a perv, oh my gosh," Max said as she blushed, wiggling her hips to accommodate the punk's grasp.

"You fucking love it," she purred. Slowly, she dragged her tongue along Max's bottom lip, producing a shiver in the small girl's body. "Delicious," she said with a dangerous smirk. Even with almost a month's worth of experience with Chloe, a simple action could still turn Max into putty.

Chloe flipped on top of Max, pressing her hands into the pillow. She sweetly kissed the brunette's forehead, then nose, chin, her cheeks...then viciously attacked her throat. Max shuddered under the sensation, looping a hand around the back of Chloe's neck as she quietly moaned.

"Is...is anyone h-home?" She managed to say as she felt teeth gently press into her. Chloe sloppily mumbled into her skin, proving that she could do quite literally anything and it would feel amazing.

"No," she said, briefly pulling away. "Joyce work, David patrol. Chloe bite." Max snickered as the punk went for her earlobe, nibbling on it as her hand tangled with the brunette's hair. "Mmm, Max..." she whispered into her ear.

_My name. Her voice. Oh my god._

Max dug her fingers into Chloe's waist, choosing to take the offensive as she latched on to the girl's collarbone. She had been learning a lot about what Chloe liked and didn't like, and the one thing that truly came through was that the girl enjoyed things rough. So, doing as she had learned, she sunk her teeth in shallowly and sucked.

"D'oooh holy shit," Chloe whimpered, buckling on top of Max. "Feels so good."

_Fuckin' wowser as hell._

"Chl-"

"How's this for a wet dream!?" Freddy Krueger screamed from the laptop, interrupting Max. Both girls immediately burst into hysterics, causing Chloe to roll off of Max.

_What the fuuuuuuuuuuu?!_

"Oh my god!" Chloe wheezed through her laughter. "Oh my god, I forgot about that."

"Consider the mood dead," Max said as she clutched her stomach, tears building around her eyes.

"Fucking Freddy Krueger just killed the mood!" Chloe shrieked, kicking her feet. "He _is_ a dream killer! That was amazing, holy shit."

After several minutes of laughter disintegrating into chuckles, they reformed their snuggling position from earlier. Chloe's hand drifted into Max's as they finally began to direct their attention to the movie. Whenever a particular gruesome scene appeared, Chloe would 'ha!' and cackle to herself. Throughout the film, one of the girls would issue a slight squeeze to the others' hand which would then be reciprocated. It was almost like a language, as Max felt she could tell what the punk was thinking just by the tightness of her grip, or how long it lasted.

"Not bad," Chloe said as the movie ended. "I wonder if they'll make another one?" Max sat up and rolled her eyes.

"Doubt it, I don't see much in the way of franchise potential, if I'm being honest."

"Probably right," the blue haired girl muttered into her sheets. "Kinda stupid, really. That'd be like if they made sixty movies about a big guy in a hockey mask. Like, no thanks, what a dumb idea." She propped herself up on an elbow as Max began searching through a plastic bag. "Where you go?"

"Gonna take a shower," the brunette replied, holding out her shampoo. "Since I probably won't have time to take one before class tomorrow." She read the bottle again, then held it so Chloe could see. "Mangoes."

"I like mangoes," she responded. "Well, I'll cue up another movie to watch if you're interested. Just give me a holler if you need any, uh, help in there." Max drooped her head to the side, giving Chloe a snarky look. "I'm talking about sexy things," she whispered.

"Oh!" Max yelled as she moved to the door, scooping up the extra clothes she brought. "Thank god you explained that to me! I was so lost! My hero! My saint!" She placed the back of her hand on her forehead. "Whatever would I have done without you?!" She slammed the door behind her, before opening it back up and peeking her head in. "I'd have been lost forever! Just a poor soul on the broken road of missed euphemisms!"

"You're getting sassier," Chloe laughed. "You wear it well."

* * *

Max pulled on her shirt and grinned into the mirror, examining her teeth.

_Hmm. Bucky._

She hung the wet towel over the rail above the tub and bundled up her clothes.

_Wonder if we're going right into Nightmare On Elm Street 5: Things Get Even More Nightmarish! Funny how these movies aren't nearly as frightening once you've dealt with...things._

She shrugged to herself as she opened Chloe's door. She stood confused when the punk was nowhere to be found.

"Chlo? You downstairs?" She called as she turned around.

"Boo!" Chloe screamed from behind her, latching onto her shoulders. She whipped around anxiously.

_Ahhhh! Things! I'M DEALING WITH THINGS!_

"Christ, Chloe, don't do..." She trailed off when she saw that Chloe was entirely wrapped in toilet paper. "What. Are you doing."

"I'm a mummy!" She beamed, or...at least Max figured she was beneath the paper. "This was harder to do than I'd care to admit."

"You are such a dork, oh my god," Max laughed as she scooted by her, lofting her pile of clothes onto the floor near her bag. "This is what you decided to do with all that toilet paper?"

"Uh huh!" She wriggled her hips. "I'm super spooky, right?"

_Super adorable, more like._

"Yeah, you're a real nightmare for stubborn bowel movements everywhere." She sat on the bed, her hand sweeping across lace fabric. "I've got to take a photo of this."

"Spooky pinup model, at your service," the punk said, continuing to dance. Max climbed across the bed and reached out for her bag, moving a pair of tattered jeans from on top of it.

"Give me somethin' good," Max teased as she aimed her camera.

"Retuuuuurn the slaaaaaaab," Chloe groaned, holding her arms out stiffly.

_Gah, that fucking show spooked me so much._

Max took the picture and whipped the Polaroid around, admiring the shot when it finally became visible.

"You're cute and I love you," she said, setting the photo to the side.

"Good, that's what I'm here for...now, help me out of this? It's surprisingly hot." Chloe shuffled over to the brunette and held out her foot. "Set me free unto this world, Caulfield."

"Yes ma'am!" Max replied as she began to unwind the toilet paper. Chloe wiggled her toes when her foot was finally free, prompting a giggle from Max. "You took your socks off?"

"Yesh."

As she continued to uncover her, she noticed she was seeing more bare leg than she was expecting. Arching an eyebrow, she glanced back over to her bag and studied the jeans she had to move.

_Those are definitely Chloe's._

Anxiously, she moved a little quicker, pulling off strand after strand until it became clear the girl was not wearing any pants. With a final tug, she revealed a pair of baby blue underwear. The gun went off in her head as her heart began to race.

"Chloe..." She gingerly touched her thigh.

"Jeans were too bulky," the punk said. "Stop ogling and hurry up, s'il vous plait."

"Right, sorry." Max blushed deeply. She stood up and carried on with unwinding, her eyes drifting as she uncovered Chloe's abs. A thought struck her, and she turned to see that the random piece of fabric she had brushed against earlier was in fact Chloe's bra. She swallowed, pulling the paper off until Chloe's bare chest was right in front of her face.

_O...okay...this is new...this is...wow..._

Feeling totally overwhelmed, she found herself nibbling on her bottom lip. Her breasts were perky and...

_Incredible..._

But what really caught Max's eye was something she didn't expect to find...though in hindsight, it was _so_ like Chloe to get her nipples pierced. Chloe cleared her throat.

"My eyes are up here, Maxine." Her voice was dainty in the guise of smarmy. "Though to be fair, probably hard to tell."

"S-sorry." Max hurriedly unwrapped the rest of her, finding not a victorious or snarky Chloe, but a soft and vulnerable one. The blue in her eyes seemed to quiver with uncertainty.

"Hey," she said quietly, but sweetly.

"Hi," Max responded, still spellbound and desperately trying maintain eye contact.

"I, uh...figured out another way to...get into mischief." She stepped toward Max, pressing their chests together.

"You did? You did. You...did?" She stammered, feeling her insides swirl.

"Uh huh," Chloe breathed against Max's cheek as her lips found her ear. Max felt a hand clasp around her wrist – not tightly, not like before. The punk pulled slowly, directing her hand toward her chest. As she made contact, feeling the soft mound beneath her fingers, she let out a small sigh of excitement. For a moment, she envisioned her eyes rolling like a slot machine, Loony Tunes style until two hearts lined up.

"Chloe, you're...amazing," she said quietly, taking the initiative to bring her other hand into play. The punk closed her eyes.

"I have pretty rockin' tits," she giggled heavenly.

_Zero arguments here._

"They're, uh...you got them pierced. I did not know that." She bit her lip in both embarrassment and desire. "Did not know that at all."

"You like?" She asked, sliding her hand under Max's shirt.

"I do," she admitted with a blush. "It's hella sexy." Chloe smirked.

"I love how you say that now," she said, clasping onto the brunette's shirt with her other hand. "And I love how you wear my hat. And the way you smile. And, fuck, I just love you so much..." She began lifting Max's shirt, but stopped. "Can I?" She asked. The small girl nodded sheepishly.

Gently, she pulled her shirt off, revealing a black bra. Chloe smiled at her, before bending down and kissing the center of her chest.

"Did, um..." Max began, glancing about wildly as her girlfriend kissed her. "Did the piercings hurt?" She felt a lash of laughter on her chest.

"They hurt pretty bad," Chloe said. "But it was so worth it. It feels great when...well..." She stood back up and moved her hand over Max's again. Taking control of the girl's index and thumb, she lightly pinched her nipple, pulling slightly. Max watched as she bit her bottom lip in pleasure.

"No, let me," Max said, shaking off Chloe's hand as she giggled. On her own, she nervously grasped and mimicked the movement. As she did, she felt two hands slide up her back, stopping when they reached her bra. It came loose and Chloe briefly backed away, pulling it from Max's arms as she did.

"Perfect," the blue haired girl said as she got a full view of Max.

_So, this is happening. Okay. Hold it together, Max. Hold it together._

Flustered, Max grabbed the punk's wrist and turned to the bed, though Chloe refused to move.

"Uh uh, Max," she said with a teasing smile. "This isn't a fair trade yet." She yanked her hand, pulling them back together.

"What? But I..." She stopped when she felt fingers dip into the waist of her shorts. "Okay," she said, regaining some playfulness. "I guess that's fair." In a smooth motion, she felt the temperature drop considerably on her lower body as the cotton from her shorts fell across her feet. Chloe pressed her palms softly against Max's chest as she moved closer. She flashed a mischievous grin and pushed, sending Max backward onto the bed.

"You're even more beautiful than I could have imagined," Chloe said as she crawled on top of Max. "You're just perfect in every way." A tint of red spread across the brunette's cheeks. "Yeah, blush all you want," she laughed lightly, her breath exploding against Max's chest. "That does nothing to change my mind."

"You're perfect too, Chlo. Like, god, I can't even believe this. You're – _oooooh_ ," Max moaned as she felt the punk's tongue slowly drag over breast, resting at her nipple. She frantically reached for Chloe's hair, roughly grabbing it as the girl pressed harder and began to suck. "Fuck, Chloe."

"Music to my ears," Chloe giggled, raising her head to make eye contact. She dug against the sheets, sneaking her hand under Max as she grabbed her ass.

"Stop!" Max laughed, tugging Chloe's hair. "I probably look like a tomato. Just...yanno...keep going."

"Mixed signals, Max," she muttered against her skin, returning her attention to the girl's chest. Max writhed as Chloe's tongue traced circles, slipping back and forth against her. A hand began to sink slowly into the brunette's inner thigh, creeping upward. She felt herself involuntarily clamp her legs shut. The punk glanced up at her, confused. "Max?"

_Shit. Shitshitshit._

"I...I don't think I'm ready for that yet," she said sheepishly. "I don't think I was ready the night of the party, either." She clasped a hand to her face in disappointment and cringed. "Are you mad?"

"Mad?" Chloe asked, shocked. "Dude, give me some credit!" She crawled upward and kissed Max, letting it linger before rolling off of her. "Babe, I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. Did...did I go too far already?"

"No! No. No no no. Noooo. Definitely not. Nope. No. N-"

"I got it, kid," Chloe laughed, kissing her cheek. "I was just checking."

"I..." Max began, sighing. "I want it to happen. So, so badly. You have no idea. But, there's just a mixture of things kind of keeping me from being totally into it. And I want to be totally, one hundred percent yours when it happens. You deserve that."

"D'aw," the punk laughed. Max pouted, turning away from her. "No, dude, seriously. Aw. Awwww. Awwwwwwwww. AWWWWWWWWWW," she continued to yell into Max's ear. The brunette waved her away in mock annoyance. "I'm just saying, that's just...different than I'm used to. Everything about you is different than I'm used to in the best way possible. Sex has never like...meant much before." She frowned, burrowing her face into Max's chest. "It's nice to know someone cares about me enough to make it special."

"You're like, my little punk rock princess, you deserve to be spoiled. I'm scared I'm not going to be any good either, which kind of fucks with that concept." She tenderly swiped through Chloe's hair.

"It'll be amazing, because you're amazing. I mean, holy shit, look at you, girl." Chloe sat up and greedily drank in the image of Max. "Fuckin' fine."

"Yeah, yeah," she said dismissively, too embarrassed to accept the compliment. "But, I want to be clear, what we've already done...I'm super on board for that. Like one hundred percent, let's get that train going." She absentmindedly reached out and stroked one of Chloe's piercings.

"Crystal clear," the blue haired girl said, grinning from ear to ear. "In that case, you know what feels even _better_ than just touchin' them?" She waggled her eyebrows.

"What!?" Max asked sarcastically, knowing exactly where it was going. Chloe straddled her once more, lowering herself until Max caught one of the silver barbells with her tongue. The punk shivered, wrapping her arms around the girl's head and burrowing into her hair. After a moment, Max felt the girl giggle against her head. She stopped immediately, panicked she did something wrong.

_Oh no, did I fuck it up? Was it not good?_

"Sorry, sorry," Chloe laughed, her voice dancing along Max's scalp. "You just _really_ smell like mangoes."


	17. Exit The Vortex Club

"Behave yourself," Max teased as the girls approached Warren's door. "He's super into Brooke and she's skittish like a baby mouse. It'd probably be good to not freak her out that his two best friends," she flicked a finger between Chloe and herself, "are fucking crazy people."

"Why, I _never!_ " Chloe held her hand to her heart with feigned insult. "When have I ever misbehaved?!" The brunette leered at her.

"I'm pretty sure it's synonymous with you having a pulse at this point." She laughed quietly, pulling Chloe close to her. "And I love it very much." The blue haired girl grinned, giving Max a thoughtful kiss.

"Does he really think of me as a friend like that?" She asked, her eyes flickering with thought.

"I think so, especially after your huge geek-splosion about Zelda the other day." Max wriggled her fingers between Chloe's. "You two were adorable."

"Wowser..." Chloe mumbled, an embarrassed smile growing. "I mean, that's kind of cool, right? Like...other people like me? It's not just that you have a weird immunity to Chloe venom, but...Warren and Kate like me too? We're all friends?" Max felt a small crack dash through her heart. She brought her hands to Chloe's cheeks and rested her forehead against the girl's. She swished from side to side, rubbing their noses together.

_I wish I never had to leave you. You don't deserve to be this insecure._

"Chloe," she said, staring into her eyes, "you are amazing. Of course they like you! Besides, Warren and Kate aren't...well, the type to have a buttload of friends, anyway. Which is why we should be supportive in Warren's dating life." She kissed the punk on the lips. "Show 'em how it's done, you know?"

"Heh, okay, fine," Chloe laughed. "You make it sound like we're his parents. But, I'll be nice..." She took a deep breath and turned toward the door, straightening her posture. Without warning, she reeled back, and started slamming her fist into the door. "Sup, **fuckers**! Happy Halloween!" She shouted, her voice dissolving into laughter as she felt Max's hands wrap around her face. She stopped and eyed the brunette deviously.

"One sec!" Came Warren's voice.

_I tried, at least._

"Well, you've got a pulse," Max giggled. "I'll take that over the subtlety any day."

The door opened slowly, Warren shaking his head with a smile. Max smiled too, opening her arms to give the boy a hug. He narrowed his eyes and frowned, worriedly nodding to Brooke behind him.

_Okay, no hug. Jeez, Brooke._

"Uh, yes, Happy Halloween!" Max cheered halfheartedly, holding her arms out in a surprised gesture to play off the hug. She slid by him, glaring disapprovingly as she did so. Chloe, however, missed the exchange, instead wrapping her arms around him tightly and lifting him off the ground.

"Heya, Wah-Ren!" She greeted, setting him back down. "How's it goin'?"

"Great," he squeaked, rubbing his ribs.

Max found herself very excited to be having a Halloween get together with her friends. It was the sort of small, casual thing she desperately longed for all her years in Seattle. The added normalcy of it after everything that had happened earlier in the month just made it that much sweeter.

"Hey guys," she said, waving to Brooke and Kate. Brooke sat on the floor with her legs crossed, holding a controller. Kate was sitting on the couch wearing a witch's hat, a large, plastic jack-o-lantern in her lap.

"Hey, Max." Brooke offered a casual wave back. She glanced at Chloe, her eyebrows knitting together momentarily.

_No need to worry, Brooke. That sweet ass is all mine._

"Hi, Max!" Kate added, jostling the jack-o-lantern. "I brought candy," she said quietly, a small amount of red spreading through her cheeks. Before Max could respond, she felt Chloe jolt passed her, flopping onto the couch next to Kate.

"Hey, pumpkin! How are you?" The punk asked, nestling into the timid girl. She peeked into the bucket, plucking out a candy and examining it. "I like these!" She said excitedly. Max snickered at the pet name bestowed upon Kate. She had asked Chloe where in the world 'pumpkin' came from, with the girl replying it was something Joyce had called her when she was younger. She didn't much appreciate when Max pointed out that it made her sound like an old woman.

"Hey, Chloe," Kate chuckled. "I'm okay. I'm watching Brooke and Warren play Smash Bros! They are very good." She gestured to the girl on the floor. "Have you met Brooke?"

"Sup?" Chloe greeted, flitting her hand in the air. "We may have met, I've been around."

"In passing, I think," Brooke said, scrunching her lips to the side. "I know it's probably getting old to hear, but I am sorry about everything that happened."

"Ah, it's old news," Chloe said, waving her hand dismissively. She popped the candy into her mouth and leaned forward. "Smash Bros, huh? Which one is this?" She asked as she chewed.

_Oh, here we fuckin' go._

"The most recent one on the Wii," Warren responded, taking a seat in his desk chair. "I'm so excited for the new one, dude, you have no idea."

"New one?" She patted the space next to her for Max. "The last one I played was, umm...Melee?" She glanced at Max to fact check, receiving a nod. "Yeah, that game was sick. I was probably the best player ever. Could've gone pro." She heard Brooke snort. "Oooh, I know we just met, but I will absolutely _destroy_ that ass." She chuckled, turning to Max as she placed a hand on her knee. "Not in the fun way, that's for you." Then she jolted her head toward Kate. "Sorry, that's inappropriate." The blonde simply snickered.

_I love that motormouth of yours._

"Where's Alyssa?" Max asked, settling in next to Chloe. "Thought you said she was coming too."

"Yeah, she was supposed to, but her parents wanted to go out to dinner or something," Brooke responded. "Just us tonight." Max leaned over Chloe's lap, looking inside the bowl for candy.

_Hmm...Starburst or baby Twix?_

"Son of a bee sting," Warren sighed as his character flew off the screen. "You're too good at this," he said to Brooke, inciting a small blush from the girl. He leaned forward and shut the TV off. "So ladies, what spooky movies shall we watch?"

"Something classic." Brooke set the controller down and adjusted her glasses. "To start off the night right."

"I am very frightened!" Kate giggled nervously, flailing her hands. "I haven't really seen any scary movies before." Chloe's eyes went wide as she turned to the girl.

"Seriously? None?" She pinched the brim of Kate's witch hat, twisting it left and right. "What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?"

"Oh, I don't know..." She clapped a hand to her face in embarrassment. "Have you ever seen The Brave Little Toaster? There's this scene in there..."

"The fucking clown!" Max screeched, gripping Chloe's arm. Kate nodded her head frantically. "That was the worst. Chloe cried so hard." The punk scowled at her. "She made me sleep with her for like four nights...in a row...huh." She gave Chloe a knowing smirk. "You're a little schemer, aren't you?"

"Don't like clowns," she muttered, puffing out her bottom lip. "Warren, make Max stop being a meanie."

"Uh, no thanks, I'm staying out of it." He began clicking through the files on his laptop. "What about Nightmare On Elm Street?"

"Oh god, let's not," Max huffed. "This one," she pointed to Chloe, "has made me watch all of them in the past two days. The third one _twice_! Ever since you let her copy your flash drive, she's been consuming media like a glutton." She prodded the girl's abs.

"Yeah, Warren," Chloe grinned. "Ever since you _flashed_ me." She wiggled her eyebrows seductively, causing the boy to turn red.

"Down, girl," the brunette said, tugging her earlobe.

"Let's just go with The Exorcist," Brooke suggested with a tint of annoyance, scooting over to the couch. "Any objections?"

There was a variety of 'no' from the group as Warren pulled the coffee table out a little, giving himself and Brooke more room on the floor. He set the laptop on the table and took his place next to her, scooching in closely.

"Are we all going to watch it on your laptop?" Brooke asked. "It's kind of...small..."

"Well..." Warren ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, I don't really have any other way to watch movies...I can't hook it up to the CRT."

"It is a touch far away..." Max added. "Small."

"You know, guys, size isn't-" Max clapped a hand over Chloe's mouth.

"Did you just lick my hand?" She cringed as she pulled a wet palm away. The girl nodded her head happily.

"I have no idea how I didn't think of this beforehand," Warren said, rubbing his temples. "So much for being the smart guy."

"It's fine!" Max patted him on the shoulder. "We can deal with it, not the end of the world."

"Well...actually..." Kate said after being quiet for most of the conversation. "I think I know someone with a nice TV that we can use!"

* * *

Kate hummed to herself peacefully, carrying the jack-o-lantern full of candy. Max matched her stride, furrowing her brow at their new plan.

"I don't think she's going to say yes," she said, hopping forward a bit to get the door to the stairs.

"No harm in trying," Kate responded, bowing quickly as she slipped passed Max. "I'm sure she likes scary movies."

_Yeah, but that's not really the issue here._

"I know that she's been better lately, but I just think we may be banking on some serious faith right now." She slipped her hand in her pocket after feeling her phone vibrate.

"Faith is my expertise," Kate giggled. "For better or worse." Max could only 'hm' thoughtfully as she glanced at her phone.

**Warren:** Max, VICTORIA?! Come on, she's NOT going to want to hang out with us.

**Max:** Kate wants to try at least. *shrug*

**Warren:** Okay but be ready to console her when Victoria doesn't want to spend time with the nerds.

**Max:** Drama queen. You got a crown and robe and everything?

There was a quick flurry of more text alerts, these from Chloe.

**Chloe:** lol homie is so nervous for some reason

**Chloe:** take your time though, gonna whoop ass in smash

**Chloe:** xoxoxox...bg

**Chloe:** bg is for like booty grab, i couldnt think of anything else

_I love my friends._

"Don't text on the stairs," Kate scolded.

"Good point," Max laughed, tucking her phone away.

They reached the landing, with Max once again getting the door for Kate. Cheerily, she waltzed to Victoria's door, glancing back with a smile as Max took her place next to her. The blonde straightened her witch hat and cleared her throat, knocking on the door with quiet enthusiasm.

_Why does it feel like we're spelunking or deep sea diving? Like this is some high risk affair._

"Yeeeees?" Victoria asked as she opened the door, her face contorting with confusion the further it opened.

"Happy Halloween!" Kate said, holding the jack-o-lantern out with a bright smile. "I brought candy!"

_Not how trick-or-treating works, Kate._

"Uh..." Victoria looked between them. "Thank you?" She reached in and took a piece without taking her eyes off of them. "What's uh, up?"

" _Welllll_..." Kate began. "Me and Max and some other people were going to have a horror movie marathon! But, um, we kind of don't have a TV." She laughed. "And I thought it'd be fun to invite you along anyway, in case you weren't busy, so..." She popped her lips. "Wanna hang out?" Victoria squinted, struggling to process the question.

"Who is it, Vic?" Max heard Taylor ask. Victoria stepped to the side, granting access.

"It's Kate and Max," she said, still confused. Courtney and Taylor sat on the carpet, each holding a wine glass. The room was illuminated by several candles, giving it an apropos atmosphere for horror.

"Hey, guys!" Kate greeted happily. "I didn't know you'd be here!" She shuffled over to them and held the bowl out. "Candy?" Max simply waved to the girls.

"Um, who all is with you guys?" Victoria asked Max.

"Well, it's me, Kate, Chloe, Warren and Brooke." She looked around the room. "We didn't know you had stuff going on, it's cool." Victoria held up a hand.

"Do you two care if we have some more people come and watch some films?" She asked the seated girls. "I mean, all we're doing is sitting around drinking wine like losers anyway."

"I don't care," Taylor said, her voice muffled against the lollipop in her mouth. She pointed at Max and smiled. "What's up, girl?" Courtney shrugged as well, offering her indifference.

"Great!" Kate hopped in place. "This will be so fun! Though that means there's more people to see me get scared. Oh gosh..."

"You gonna pee yourself?" Courtney asked, poking Kate's leg.

"I hope not! Is that a thing people do?!"

_I seriously missed something somewhere. When did Kate get so buddy-buddy with these guys?_

"Max, wanna go grab the others?" Kate asked, taking a seat on the floor.

"Uh...yeah! Sure. I'll be right back." She quickly slid back out into the hallway, hearing the door gently close behind her.

_The fuck did that work what._

* * *

"He has two katanas, Warren!" Max heard Chloe shout as she reached his room. Smiling to herself, she pressed an ear against the door. "That's so badass! Do you know how hard it is to use even _one_ katana efficiently? … Me either! But I'm sure it's difficult. You've got to give him props."

"But I just think...fuck! You killed me again!" That was Warren.

"Good, suck my dick, Kirby! Anyway, any other choice is ludicrous. Plus he's named after literally the smartest man to ever live."

"Okay, well I can't argue you there, but...haha, revenge! Thanks, Brooke."

"No problem!" Brooke said.

"Don't tag team me! That's not fair! If Max were here, you'd be getting owned."

Max quietly giggled, running her hand down the wood of the door. Since her and Chloe's return through time, she had periodically been experiencing what she could only describe as 'moments of clarity.' They came on suddenly and washed away just as quickly, but it was as if for one frozen fragment of time, she could see things only as beautiful. They never happened when you'd expect someone to have this realization, instead cropping up as she looked through the window during class or staring at a bookshelf. Just small, precious moments she could only capture with the camera in her head. She figured they were some compensation for her nosebleeds.

"Max!" Chloe pointed at her as she entered the room. "Best TMNT! Go!"

"It's Leonardo," she said matter-of-factly, laughing when Warren huffed in disagreement.

"So, what's the plan?" Brooke asked, sliding the controller away from her.

"Well, believe it or not, she agreed. Taylor and Courtney are down there, too, so looks like we'll have a bigger group than we thought."

"Sweet, Kate with the win!" Chloe hopped up. "Good, these guys were being unfair. Or they made Sheik worse. I dunno."

"Talk shit, get hit..." Brooke chuckled as Warren helped her to her feet. He took a hurried stride toward Max.

"Is this for real?" He asked in a hushed tone. "They're not going to Carrie us with pig blood or whatever?" Max looked behind him to see Chloe gently tugging on a strand of Brooke's red highlight, complimenting her on her choice of color.

"Yes, it's for real. Why are you so paranoid about this?" She watched as he fidgeted with his fingers.

"I don't know," he sighed. "This just feels weird? I'm used to being bullied by the popular people." He held his hand up as Max rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know that's dramatic, but it's _true_. That's why I was like...attacking you with hanging out when we met. I wanted you to get to know me before the cool kids dubbed me the loser and made up your mind for you."

"You are a loser," she laughed, poking his forehead. "But so am I. And...definitely her." She pointed at Chloe.

"What's up?" She asked as her and Brooke joined the conversation.

"I'm telling him that you're a loser," Max snickered.

"Oh, totally," Chloe nodded. "Without context, I can one hundred percent guarantee that I am in fact a loser." She pushed by Warren, sliding out into the hallway. "The kind of loser that desperately wants to see a creepy girl turn her head all the way around and walk around like a crab." She held her arms out crookedly. "I bet I could go down the steps like that."

"I think I'd like to see that!" Brooke laughed, following her.

* * *

"That really is a lot of throw up," Taylor droned as the demon on screen spewed its bile everywhere. She took a sip of wine and stretched her legs out in front of her. "It's like an anti-bulimia PSA."

The seating arrangement was Warren, Brooke and Chloe on the couch with Max on the floor between Chloe's legs. She sat next to Kate, who had Victoria and the other girls on her other side. Max shifted her head around as Chloe's fingers constantly slid through her hair, lightly dragging her nails along the girl's scalp.

"This is so scary," Kate laughed quietly with a look of horror. "When did this come out?"

"1973," Warren quickly responded. "They actually gave out barfbags in the theaters because people were freaking out."

"That's just a myth," Taylor added.

"I bet the church isn't very fond of this movie," Kate said.

_Oh, right. Maybe not the best choice given Kate's beliefs._

"More wine, Vic?" Courtney asked, holding the bottle above Victoria's glass. Max saw the girl glance at Kate for a moment, a small frown on her face.

"No, thanks, I think I'm good for now." Courtney shrugged at her answer, pouring more into her own glass.

_That's sweet, Victoria._

"Kate," Chloe whispered. "Candy me!" The blonde girl laughed as she tossed a piece of candy over her shoulder into Chloe's lap. "Merci beaucoup!" Kate let out a gasp and began digging through her purse.

"I forgot I had these!" She pulled out a Ziploc bag full of plastic vampire teeth. Excitedly, she took one out and situated it in her mouth. "Am I scary?" She asked in muffled speech.

"Oh damn, a witch _and_ a vampire?" Chloe leaned over to pluck a pair out of the bag herself. "Good thing it's not a full moon tonight, right?" She put the fake teeth in her mouth and tapped Max on the head. "Hella hickeys comin' your way, Maxaroni." In retaliation, Max grabbed a set for herself and put them in, baring her fangs viciously. Out the corner of her eye, she noticed Warren and Brooke were holding hands.

_Yeah, Warren! Get it! Go Ape!_

Kate turned to Victoria and offered the bag. The girl stared at her with a small hint of disgust, as if suggesting 'how dare you ask me to wear these?' When Kate frowned, she huffed and plucked out a pair, slamming them into her mouth, causing Courtney to giggle.

"I'm getting kind of hungry." Warren patted his stomach. "You guys want to order pizza or anything?"

"Yes, pleeeeease," Max said, feeling a rumble in her stomach at the mere mention of food. "Anyone else want some noms?" The rest of the room raised their hands with mixed enthusiasm.

"I guess I can get us some," Victoria said, picking up her phone from next to her.

"Victoria..." Warren began sheepishly, practically folding in on himself, "we can...yanno, we can _help_ pay."

"Yeah, dude," Chloe said, shifting around so that Max's head ricocheted between her knees. "Sorry, babe. Anyway, I've got crazy bank." She pulled out a wad of one dollar bills, now rubberbanded together at Max's suggestion. Victoria glared between them and sighed.

"That'd be cool...thanks."

After probably too long of a debate deciding on what to order – largely sparked by the inclusion of pineapple – Victoria placed a call for three large pizzas. By now, The Exorcist had reached its conclusion and it was time to decide on something else to watch.

"Cabin in the Woods!" Warren blurted out. "We should definitely watch that next!"

"What's it about?" Taylor asked.

"It's...hard to describe without ruining it. We _have_ to watch it, though!"

Max turned to find Kate happily combing through the rest of her candy, humming to herself with the fake teeth still in.

"How ya doin', Kate?" She asked with a chuckle, rubbing the girl's shoulder. "Did you pee yourself yet?"

"Nope!" She proclaimed proudly. "My adrenaline was going crazy, though! Scary movies are kind of fun!"

"Good to hear," Chloe said, reaching forward to squish Kate's hat. "See, Max, she could _totally_ handle Human Centipede!"

"I do have that," Warren laughed. Chloe held out a fist, which he promptly bumped with his own.

"Is that the movie where they stitch people's mouths to other people's buttholes?" Courtney asked, cackling. "I wanna see it!"

"I'm...not sure I'm ready for that," Kate said, a faraway look of fear in her eyes.

"Guys, if we were in a horror movie, who would die first?" Taylor asked, waving her glass in the air. She giggled when some splashed out onto the carpet. Victoria glared at her, before residing herself to a laugh.

"Dunno," Courtney said. "I'd stick with Warren. He's _smart_." Max noticed Courtney's gaze linger on the blushing boy perhaps a bit longer than needed.

_Oh dear. Courtney...don't._

"Oh, pizza's here!" Victoria exclaimed as she glanced at her phone. She bounced to her feet.

"That was fast..." Brooke said with suspicion, her head comfortably resting on Warren's shoulder.

"Max, you mind giving me a hand?" Victoria asked.

_Aw, but I wanna know who dies first!_

"Uh...sure, no problem." She placed a hand on Chloe's knee, using it as leverage to lift herself up. The blue haired girl wrapped her arms around Max's waist, pulling her into her lap.

"I'll miss you," she said, giving Max a peck on the cheek. "And I love ya."

"Oh fucking gag me," Victoria laughed. "And hey, you, Little-Miss-Blueberry-Head. Don't think I've forgotten about the whole stabbing my throat thing."

"I'm entirely sure I don't know what you're talking about." Chloe smiled innocently, releasing Max. "Fine, go!" She said dramatically. "And do not return until you've obtained delicious cheesy, sauce bread!"

* * *

Max shuddered in the cold as the two girls stepped outside.

"Damn, it's getting chilly..." She wrapped herself in a hug. "Dude, that movie really holds up for being as old as it is. Roizman is a genius with his cinematography. He did the Sergeant Pepper movie too...Victoria?" She noticed the girl had stopped walking and was now leaning against the brick of the building. "I thought we were getting pizza?"

"It's not here yet," she said, pulling a cigarette from its pack. "They're not _that_ fast." She held the pack out for Max, who shook her head.

"Okay so...what's up?" She stood next to her, pressing her back against the building. Rather than answer, Victoria closed her eyes and took a long, desperate drag of her cigarette. She peeked one eye open and pointed it at Max.

"So, what do you think?" She asked.

"About?"

"Our posses hanging out. Is it going okay? I think it's going okay. Right?" She took another pull of the cigarette.

_Everyone is so concerned about what other people think of them. Even I'm guilty of that._

"Well," Max began, "it's definitely an interesting crowd. Very Breakfast Club." Victoria snickered, sending out a machine gun burst of smoke.

"It's fucking stupid that we like all the same stuff," she said. "Hate to break it to you, Maxine, but I think we might be compatible friends."

"Oh darn," Max said dryly. "However will I deal? Besides, I'm pretty sure everyone likes The Breakfast Club."

"I actually dated a guy who didn't," she responded, her eyes wide. Max scoffed. "I know right? Said it was a bitch movie."

"That doesn't even make sense..." She took a step from the wall and looked up into the night sky. "Big moon tonight."

"It's mating time for werewolves so, yeah, to be expected." She tapped the cigarette, sending ash to the concrete. "Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I just panicked. I want everything to gel for...her, you know?" Max raised an eyebrow and turned to the blonde.

"For Kate?" She asked. "What's the deal with you guys?"

"I know she forgave me, but...you have no idea how horrible I still feel about everything." She sighed, more smoke flowing from her lips. "And she's so sweet. I can't believe I did that to her. That day when we went to her room, I actually stayed there for like two hours. We talked a lot."

"You need to forgive yourself," Max said. "Look, can't you see how weird and kind of awesome this is? This is a weird group of people I never expected to chill together. And everyone's having fun! I just think, now that..." She stopped herself and rolled her eyes.

"What?" Victoria pressed.

"The Vortex Club was dividing way more than it ever brought people together. And I know that _why_ it was disbanded isn't cool, but I still think it was for the best." She cracked a smile. "The Vortex Club sucked."

_Heh, got 'em._

"Yeah..." The blonde winced as she ran a hand along her arm. "That wound's still fresh, but you're right. You ever just...try to think of _how_ things happen the way they do? Like what sets everything in motion? I don't know, it's kind of silly butterfly effect shit, but I try to think about how far back it goes." She looked at Max with an icy gaze. "With Nathan, I mean."

_Silly butterfly effect shit. Sounds about right._

"I know exactly what you mean, Vic. More than you could know. But...Nathan's problems started a long time ago. Way before you had any chance to fix them." She clenched her teeth and held up a hand. "Sorry, I know that sounds harsh but please just trust me on this one. Sean Prescott is solely responsible for all of this shit." Victoria 'hmm'd.'

"Have you taken any photos?" She asked after a beat of silence. "I mean, since everything happened? It's...really hard for me." She chuckled with spite. "I tried to sleep with him, you know? The prestigious Mark Jefferson!" She waved her hands in mock amazement, then threw her cigarette to the ground and stomped on it. "Everything is ruined," she said quietly.

_She didn't even get kidnapped in this timeline and she's having trouble with photography._

"It was hard for me at first too..." Max said, willing herself to breathe evenly. "It was almost like I could imagine what it was like in that room." She felt her hand tighten into a fist of its own free will.

"Exactly," the blonde replied. "I can almost feel it and it's disgusting."

"Chloe helped me with it," Max continued. "She helped me realize that photography wasn't the enemy. Art is a powerful tool and can be a weapon in the wrong hands. But that doesn't mean it's forever ruined. We just have to reclaim it."

"I don't have a Chloe though." Victoria frowned as she brought a hand to her forehead.

" _Kiiinda_ sounds like you might," the brunette said with a smile. "I saw how you stopped drinking as soon as she walked into the room. And those fake teeth? It looked like you were in _actual_ pain when you put them on. Must take someone pretty cool to get Victoria Chase to swallow her pride like that." She grasped the blonde's hand and squeezed gently before letting go.

"Huh..." Victoria mused thoughtfully. She cocked her head in confusion. "Oh fuck _off_ , Doctor Bill," she laughed, pushing Max's shoulder.

"That's me!" Max cheered, pointing to herself with her thumb. "But seriously, she clearly likes being your friend. She was practically skipping to come knock on your door. Maybe try talking to her about it? See if it helps."

"Things are so fucking weird right now," the blonde said. Max clapped a hand to her thigh as she felt her phone vibrate.

**Chloe:** yo wtf everyone is saying i would die first

**Chloe:** EVEN MY PRECIOUS BUNNY KATE

**Chloe:** ET TU KATE ET TU

"It's a good weird, I think," Max laughed as she put her phone away.


	18. Catching Up

"Yo, Pete! I'm taking a smoke break! Everyone's got their food." The rotund, bald man merely grunted in response, not breaking his concentration on the food working beneath him. Humming to herself, Chloe slipped through the back door and placed a cigarette between her lips. She lit it and took out her phone, scrolling through her new messages.

_Let's see here..._

**Warren:** Don't watch it, it's so bad dude and not in the good way

That was in response to her question 'is S. Darko worth a watch?'

_Fair enough, not like I can watch it with Max around anyway. Not yet._

There was another text from her mother, simply a picture of a puppy that said 'have a good day.'

_Don't tell me what to do, Mom._

**Max:** Homework's the worst. Why does it exist.

**Max:** I'm not even home. I'm technically at school.

**Max:** Muahahaha found the loophole! Ooooh yeah.

_You're such a badass, Max. Doing your homework like a rebel!_

She snickered to herself as she typed back.

**Chloe:** i cant see anything flawed with that logic!

**Chloe:** lemme know what you're in the mood for to eat tonight, ill grab it on my way over

**Chloe:** aaaaaaaaaand i love you

_So weird saying that so often. Hard to believe there was a time I thought I'd never say that out loud again._

She ashed the cigarette and grabbed her skirt, analyzing it for what might have been the hundredth time today. She let go of a chuckle.

_Hope Max likes this. Can't remember the last time I wore a skirt. It's kinda punk rock though...right? Right. God, if only she knew how much I want to impress her. She'd tease me, of course. That bitch. That sexy, sexy bitch. Hmm..._

She did a small twirl for herself, letting the fabric spread out in the wind.

_Seems to help with the tips, too._

"I like your dance!" A voice said, causing Chloe to jump. Down the alley, the old homeless woman sat by the dumpster with a warm smile on her face.

"Uh, thanks!" Chloe replied, blushing a little. "Didn't see you there, you startled me!"

"Aw, sorry about that, kiddo. Though in your defense, no one sees me here usually." Taking a drag, she decided to walk over to the woman.

"It's kind of chilly out here," said the punk.

"I'm not sure I notice the weather anymore," the woman responded with a laugh. She looked Chloe up and down. "Joyce's daughter," she said knowingly.

"That's me!" Chloe gave her a thumbs up, trying her best to avoid the red claw marks in the lady's neck. "I just started here a few weeks ago."

"Well, that's certainly a surprising turn of events." She shifted around, folding one leg under the other. "You never seemed the type to get a job." She smiled with rotten teeth. "No offense."

_That's fair._

"None taken. You're right. I guess I just thought it was time to grow up a little." She pulled out her pack of cigarettes. "Cig?"

"Oh, why the hell not," the woman said, taking one. Chloe handed her the lighter and thought for a moment.

"You hungry or anything? I'm sure I can get you something." She looked at the cereal box beside her. "I do love that cereal though. Been eating it since I was a kid."

"You know, today I think I'm good. But I really appreciate the gesture." She took a drag and exhaled, watching the smoke untangle. "Bad habit, you know. You should quit, for Max's sake at least."

_Elllooooo what's this then?_

"You know Max?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes. "And that we're together?" She smiled. "Word spreads fast."

"You'd be amazed how much you see when you stay in one place all the time. I'd like to think of myself as a professional people watcher." She tapped the cigarette, letting the ashes fall right into her lap.

"That's not creepy," Chloe laughed. "Guess it can't be helped though." She turned toward the dumpster and flicked the cigarette butt, pumping her fist when it landed inside.

"Impressive." The woman grinned. "Hey," she said, her tone twisting into darkness. "I heard about everything that happened. With the Prescott kid and Rachel..."

_Just when you think the condolence parade is over, another float rolls by._

"Yeah," Chloe said, trying to maintain a neutral expression. "Crazy shit, huh? The world is a fucked up place."

"It's not so bad..." She frowned. "The Earth just has a...ruthless way of keeping balance." She sighed and held the glowing ember up to her face. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, right?" She stared at the burning the cigarette, her eyes glazed over. "The Prescotts had to learn that sooner or later."

_Uh..._

"Yeah, well...good riddance, right? That whole family is a tumor." She lazily kicked at the concrete. "I hear they're opening investigations into Sean Prescott's illegal activities. Maybe they'll finally get what they deserve, you know?"

"That's the idea," the woman said, smiling.

"Chloe!" Pete called from the back door. "Customer!"

"Shit," Chloe spat, straightening her apron. "Gotta get back in there. Good...talk? I'll get you some food next time, okay?"

"Sounds wonderful," the woman said after taking another drag. "I love the pancakes here! And you be good to Max, you hear?" She held up a fist and smiled. "She's a good egg. And tell her I'd like to talk to her again sometime."

"You kidding? I dote on her like it's my job! I literally have two jobs!" Chloe cackled as she turned to walk back inside.

_Wonder what her and Max talked about. Something about that lady...I like her._

* * *

Chloe stopped in the doorway when she saw Frank staring out the window. To her complete surprise, seeing him sitting there with a grumpy look actually brought a smile to her face. Some of it was relief – he had been MIA since Rachel's funeral and she was worried he might have done something drastic. But some part of it, maybe even most of it, was because she just sort of missed him being around. Grinning, she strode over to his booth and slammed her palm on the table, startling him.

"What the fuck was...that...for..." His anger slouched more into confusion with each syllable. "Chloe? What the hell?"

"Surprise!" She held her arms out and spun in place. "I'm a waitress now!" He opened his mouth and stared, his jaw moving slowly as if digging for words.

"I just...what the fuck?" He held his hands out in confusion. " _You_ got a _job_? And _here_?"

"Yeah, well, figured I was here enough already, might as well get paid for it. Gaze into the abyss and all that shit." She slid into the seat across from him. "I uh, already put in an order for your beans. Is that cool?"

"That's cool," he said, his brow still working. "This is the last thing I was expecting when I got back."

"Yeah, man, where the hell have you been? I was actually worried about you!" She reached across the table and slapped his hand.

"I had to get away for a little while. Went to stay with my mom a few towns over. Just had to get away from...this, you know?" He took a swig of his beer, which he obviously brought in with him.

_I hear ya, dude. If it was up to me, me and Max would be chilling in Portland or...further._

"You came back, though?" She asked curiously.

"I came back." He sighed and rubbed his neck. "I came back to say goodbye to her, but there's...something about this place. It feels like home, whatever that means. Felt it as soon as I saw the 'Welcome to' sign." He stared at her. "You were worried about me?"

"Yes, dude! I know it got kind of rough with us at the end there but we _were_ friends at some point. Unless all the drugs have wiped your memory." She cringed as soon as she said it.

_Yeah, let's remind him of his one link to killing Rachel. Way to go._

"Not really my thing anymore," he said, his voice teetering. "Aside from the green stuff, been needing that to calm down." He picked up his beer and examined it. "Wish I could cut this shit out too, but baby steps I guess."

"Baby steps are good," she agreed. She glanced to the side and bit her lip. "Did you...visit her?"

"No," he muttered. "Was going to but I got kind of wrapped up in my own head. I don't know why she would want to see me." He sniffled and dragged a forearm across his nose. "Have you gone?" She looked away, embarrassed with herself.

_Nope, you haven't. And why not? It's almost been a month. Not like you haven't had the time. Why ya so scared, Chloe? Is it too real? Siiiiigh. Max even offered to go with me. I'm just a coward._

"I haven't," she admitted quietly. "That's really fucked up, isn't it? I don't even know why."

"That's why we're friends," he said. "We react to this kind of stuff the same way... We just shut down and bury our heads in the sand when it gets too hard."

_Was that a present tense on the 'friends' situation?_

"I'm not like that anymore," Chloe replied. "I'm trying not to be, anyway. I have...I have to be stronger these days."

"Max, right?" He asked. "How is she?"

" _Way_ too good for me!" Chloe laughed as a small bell dinged. She got up and dashed around the counter to retrieve his food. She set the beans in front of him, giving him a sarcastic curtsy and reclaimed her seat. "But she's great, kicking ass in school," she said.

"Good." He took another sip of his beer. " _Someone_ should be happy in this world, right?" He eyed the now empty bottle. "I'm trying to be stronger too but...oh, fuck it," he said, sighing. "I'm going to go today but...I could really use a friend there with me."

_Was afraid you'd say that, you shithead. Fine. Force my hand._

"Oh, so we _are_ friends," she said with a smile. He didn't respond, instead waiting for an answer to suggestion. Chloe rolled her eyes. "Yes, Frank. I'll go with you. I actually get off in a half hour, if you want to ride together."

"Thank you," he replied, his voice tightening in his throat. "That means a lot to me." He cracked a smile. "Can't believe I gotta tip you, you little punk."

"Yeah, dude, gimme that cash!" She cackled, then 'hmm'd.' "Uh, actually...I know I still owe you the three grand. Plus interest. Don't worry about a tip and I swear I'll pay you back, okay?"

"Christ, Chloe." He shook his head. "I can't take your money. That's not what Rachel would want. Let's just call it square."

_Well, that's a surprise and a relief._

"You gonna refill my coffee or do I have to do it myself?" A trucker shouted. Chloe leaned out of the booth, narrowed her eyes and pointed at him.

"John, I swear to Christ, I will shove that mug so deep into your eye sockets all you'll be able to see is the Brazilian countryside."

"Jesus," he muttered, spinning back around in his stool. "You _are_ Joyce's kid."

* * *

Frank threw the RV in park, causing Chloe to jerk forward. She sat with Pompidou between her legs as she pet him behind his ears.

"Give me a sec, gonna call Max," she said as she pulled out her phone.

"Take your time," Frank replied. "I'm not exactly itching to get out there."

_Samesies, bro._

"Helloooo!" Max greeted emphatically. Chloe smiled at her voice. She heard another, screechier 'hello' afterward.

"Hey cutie," she said. "That Dana? Tell her I said bonjour."

"You speak French a lot," Max giggled before relaying the message.

"Ah, oui! Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?" She saw Frank give her a humorous 'what the fuck' look.

"Yes, that is the plan," she laughed. "When you comin' over?"

"Actually, that's why I was calling. Just wanted to let you know, I'm at the uh...cemetery with Frank. We're going to visit Rachel. I'll still be over, but it might be a bit later."

"Woah," Max said with a serious tone. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah...I think so," she stared at her nails, noticing the torn up cuticles. "Hey, did you decide on dinny din?"

_What the fuck, she has destroyed my already horrific grammar._

"I was kinda thinking Chinese take out. Think you could swing that? Dana! Stop!" There was another giggle. "She keeps doing the tongue between the V gesture. She's like, getting really into it. Oh, gross dude, stop!" She heard a rustling, clearly Max pushing the girl away as a wild laughter echoed.

_Heh, classic. Dana's cool. Good job, Trevor._

"I'm a fan of that gesture. Sure, I can grab take out. Text me your order..." She sighed, watching Pompidou nuzzle into Frank's hand. "Okay, time to get this show on the road. Love you, baby."

"I love you too," Max said. "And I'm proud of you for finally getting out there."

_Thanks, Max. You don't know how much that means to me._

"Alright, dude." Chloe stood up after putting her phone away and swung her arms side to side. "You ready?"

"Not at all." He laughed desperately. "Let's do it."

Chloe walked through the graveyard in search of Rachel's resting place. Frank had hung back in the RV for a moment, explaining to Pompidou that he couldn't come with them and see Rachel. She hated to admit it, but she found it pretty adorable and kind of heartbreaking. Suddenly, she caught sight of a doe standing over a grave, nestling the grass with its nose. Fresh flowers and a wreath adorned the tombstone.

_Holy shit what. This is beautiful, I gotta take a picture. Max would shit herself._

Fumbling axniously, she aimed her phone at the doe. It turned to look at her, staring at her...no, _through_ her. Goosebumps sprouted along her skin as her stomach tightened with an unknown nervousness. She took the photo after her thumb missed the button several times. The doe stared for just a moment longer before bounding away into the woods.

_That felt...weird._

"You find it?" Frank asked as he caught up to her. "Oh, that's it right there," he said, pointing to the grave the doe was at.

"Huh..." Chloe said quietly, staring at the picture. For what it was worth, it was a pretty good shot, at least she figured Max would think so. Only, the doe was nowhere to be found. It was just a scenic photo of Rachel's grave. "That...makes sense."

* * *

"Uh, you first," Frank said, taking a step back. Chloe glared at him and huffed.

"Fine," she said, taking a step forward. She surveyed the grave, looking over the flowers and small offerings people had placed. She tilted her head back and stared into the sun, gazing long enough until it started to sting, then clamped her eyes shut.

_Alright, then._

_Heya, Rach. Long time no see. Sorry about that. I've been busy and well...scared. You know me, right? Just a total puss when it comes to facing things that freak me out. You were kinda like that too. So's Frank, who is also here. I guess he'll chat with you when I'm done._

She sighed and chuckled.

_Don't say a word about the skirt. I know it's totally unlike me, but I dunno...I think it looks kind of nice. I think Max will like it. Oh, right! Max! So, me and Max have almost been together for a month now and I've never been happier. Things are still a little rocky with the time travel stuff, but other than that, it's just been perfect. So, yeah, progress report: I haven't fucked up yet! And I won't. Promise. She's so amazing, I've never loved someone so much. She has these freckles...dude, it's way too cute. Just wanna kiss all of 'em._

Chloe furrowed her brow and burst into laughter, doubling over as she clutched her stomach.

_Wow, this is just like when I used to talk about her all the time and you'd just sit there and nod. I guess some things never change. Some things don't... I guess others do. Like you being gone. It still feels really surreal. Even now, whenever I hang out with Max and her friends..._ _**my** _ _friends, I want to shoot you a text so you'll come with. It's so unfair. You didn't deserve this. I guess, for what it's worth, the Prescotts and Jefferson are getting what they deserve._

I miss you so bad, Rachel. The world's a lot more boring without you raising hell. I work at the fuckin' TWO WHALES. I'm not sure if you'd be proud or if you'd make fun of me. Probably both. Probably...

She scrunched her lips to the side.

_I'm not mad at you anymore. Just thought you should know that. I know you had your reasons for keeping all your secrets. I still wish you didn't, but I understand. I wasn't very receptive to hearing things I didn't like. I'm trying to change that. Trying to change a lot about myself, honestly. We had a good thing, you know? Just being total, insane rebels plotting to take over the world...but I don't think that's how you make it through life. So, I'm trying to be better. Trying not to just start shit with everyone I meet. Dude, I'm even cool with David now! Sargeant Dickhead is actually...kind of cool once you scrub the paranoia off of him._

She glanced behind her to see Frank waiting patiently, looking over the graveyard.

_Guess I should wrap this up and give Frank the mic. Go easy on him, okay? He really loved you. And he's killing himself about giving the drugs to Nathan. Look...I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner. I promise I'll be back again soon. I'll give you juicy, gossipy details about me and Max and some of the peeps at Blackwell. I know you probably miss them. Trevor is dating Dana Ward. They're pretty cute together!_

She ran a finger beneath her eyes, surprised to find that they were dry.

_Huh. I guess it gets easier. Take it easy, Rachel. I miss you._

"You're up, dorkus," Chloe managed with a sarcastic tone as she turned to Frank. "She seems like she's in a good mood, but you know how she can be. Flip floppin' like a bitch. I'd strike while the iron's hot." Frank snickered and nodded, stepping up and clearing his throat.

"Might be a while," he said.

"Take your time, dude." She patted him on the shoulder and took a few steps away, slumping her shoulders as she released the tension.

_Well, that went okay. I didn't even cry! Score for Chloe!_

She held a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun and scanned the graveyard.

_This place is beautiful. I wonder if Max would want to come here and take pictures. Is that too morbid? Hmm. Might as well ask, I'm sure she'd be down to talk to Rachel again. Oh, man, wonder what I should get from the Chinese place? Gettin' kinda hangry._

She suddenly felt a strange sort of magnetism in her head. She turned to her left and stared deeper into the cemetery. Squinting, she began to walk, unsure of what it was she was looking for. Her feet dragged her forward as she looked over the various graves. People she'd never heard of, some surnames she'd heard in passing. She frowned when she saw overgrown graves, evidence they had not been visited in quite some time. Finally, she stopped moving and stared, her heart beating faster in her chest. In front of her was a sizable tombstone, one she hadn't looked upon in a very, very long time. The name William Price was stretched across the stone in gold lettering.

She blinked, pushing the building tears from her eyes. All of her 'no tears' pride crumbled as they hastened their way down her cheeks. Feeling a fracture in her heart, she dropped to her knees in front of the grave and sobbed. She carefully reached in front of her and brushed the grass with her hand, working up a somber smile as she did so.

"H-" her voice bubbled, splitting the word into nonsense. She took a deep breath. "Hi, daddy..." She slumped to the side, pulling her legs underneath her. "I'm so sorry I haven't visited you. It's been...way too long. You probably don't even recognize me now." Chloe breathed slowly, ignoring her tears. "I've missed you. So much has happened since I've been here last. I was in a pretty bad spot for a while..." She traced a finger along her temple and twirled a strand of hair around it. "Blue hair now. I think you'd like it, actually. You were always really supportive with all the shit I did." She gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes bulging. "Sorry! I kind of have a sailor mouth."

"Well, I honestly don't know how to catch you up on everything." She wriggled from side to side, cringing in embarrassment. "Uh, I kinda got expelled. That sucked. I'm sorry, I know you always thought I'd keep being a straight A student and get a full ride to college. I really let you down on that one..." She rubbed at her eyes. "Let mom down, too. She got remarried, by the way. I know that's what you would have wanted, but I didn't handle it so well. He's an alright guy, though..." Feeling more and more drained with each word, she flopped to her side, the soft green grass carressing her cheek.

"Dad, I spent so many nights wishing I could just be with you again. Wishing I had the courage to...end it." She bit her lip hard, working the flesh between her teeth. "Never told that to anyone before. Not even..." She allowed herself a small smile. "Well, that's the good news...Max came back. And, to spare you some pretty hard to believe details, we're together. Dating. In love. Smoochin' and everything. Remember when I was thirteen and really confused that I had feelings for her? You were the only one I trusted enough to tell. And you were so...cool about it. You were so cool, dad. And a total dork." She reached out once again, tangling her fingers with the grass, imagining with all her might that the blades were his fingers.

"I'm on the up and up. Things are getting better. I'm still a little punk brat, but I'm going to try my best. I got a job at the Two Whales...someone even said I was like mom today and I _didn't_ hate it. I have really cool friends now too. And I swear I'll get my GED and go to school. I promise. I guess, I just really want you to know that, for the first time in a really, really long time...I'm okay. I'm better than okay. And even on those days where I'm not, I have Max. I'm gonna marry her, you know? Man, I wish you could be there for that. Being your usual, goofy self." She let go of a sincere, deep laugh, the tears cooling on her cheeks. "You were such a goober!"

She stood up and brushed the back of her skirt, smirking to herself when she finally decided that it _did_ look sexy. She rested her hand on the tombstone.

"I love you so, so much, Dad. I'll uh...bring Max next time. So you can say hi. She'd like that, I think." She breathed out and nodded. "See you around, okay?"

* * *

"You okay?" Frank asked as Chloe trudged toward the RV. His eyes were red.

"I'm fuckin' exhausted, duder."

"Yeah, who knew that this shit took so much out of you?" He opened the door and held an arm out, signaling Chloe to go first. She casually flipped a hand in his direction. "Was that your old man's spot?" He asked as he followed her in.

"Uh huh. Haven't been here in years. About...five to be exact. I think I kind of forgot this place existed." She dropped into the seat as Pompidou hurried over to her with his tail wagging. "You think they hear us?" She asked.

"Kid, I have no idea. But for right now, I'm going to pretend it's a hard yes." He took a seat and gripped the wheel. "I need to hit the liquor store on the way back to the Two Whales. You want anything while I'm in there?"

_Oh Jesus god yes all of it in my fucking face hole._

"Yeah, I could hella use a drink," she said.

"Heh," Frank snorted. "You sound like Rachel when you say that." Chloe looked out the window, over the almost surreally peaceful cemetery.

"She's who I got it from," she replied, watching the doe slowly walk among the tombstones.


	19. Ode To Serotonin

When Max opened the door, Chloe was wiggling side to side excitedly, the plastic take out bag jerking along for the ride. She opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes were pulled downward as she noticed the blue haired girl's skirt. She watched it whip around with her momentum, revealing more and more of her pale skin with each swish.

"Oh, wow," she said quietly, causing Chloe to laugh.

"That's about what I was going for!" She gave Max a peck on the cheek and slid by her into the room, tossing her duffel bag onto the bed. "I got a lot of food," she said as she rifled through the take out bag. Max turned around with an eyebrow raised, a goofy smile spread out over her face.

"What in the world drives Chloe Price to wear a skirt?" She crossed her arms. The punk looked down, then back up and shrugged happily.

"Thought you might like it! Also wanted to see if you had any hidden school girl fantasies." She glanced around the room, tapping her index finger to her chin. "Do you have like...a ruler or anything? We can see how deep this rabbit hole goes."

"Shut up!" Max laughed, closing the distance between them. "I do not have school girl fantasies. At least, I don't think..." She looked to the side in thought. "I guess I don't know a whole lot about the girl side of my fantasy list."

"Ah, but there's a boy side!" Chloe laughed, poking Max in the cheek. "I can work with that! I'm creative!" She continued poking her cheek until the brunette waved her hand away.

"I _do_ like it, though," Max said, blushing a little. "It's pretty sexy." She grabbed a stack of paper plates and plopped to the floor, with Chloe following. "What can I do to be sexy?" She asked as she removed their food from the bag.

"Yeesh, I dunno, Max," the punk said with a teasing smile. "I'm kind of into this pale skin, freckle, shaggy hair, hipster aesthetic and I just don't know if you can make something like that happen overnight."

"Har har." She spooned a bit of rice onto her plate. "I want to know your fantasies though, like that Ludacris song."

"Yes, that's exactly what we should base our sex life on," Chloe quipped. "Also, maybe...let's actually _have_ a sex life first before we get that far?" She stuck her tongue out.

_Hmmph, screeching brakes._

"That's fair," she said quietly. "What did you get?" She prodded her fork into Chloe's food.

"General Tso's, dawg." She glanced at Max's food. "Sharesies?" The brunette nodded. They exchanged containers, adding some of each to their own plate. "I also bought like two orders of those sugary, fried doughnut thingies?"

"Oh man, I love those!"

"Good, because I forgot how big the portions were on these fuckers. I think we might actually have like fifty of them." She chewed a piece of chicken slowly. "Hope they're good left over." The room fell quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from the music on Max's laptop and Chloe's overenthusiastic chewing.

"Uh," Max said with uncertainty, "are you cool that we aren't having sex yet? I know you said it was fine but my brain likes to mess with me." Chloe froze, her icy blue eyes locking onto Max's. Very slowly, she reached to her left and grabbed a doughnut, bringing it to her lips and popping the whole thing into her mouth.

"Maf," she said, her voice a mess of dough. "No 'ush. Serious'y." She chewed frantically, swallowed and gulped for air. "No rush. Seriously. I will wait as long as you need to. Time is on our side." She gave a delightfully cheesy wink as she said it.

"The skirt though," Max frowned. "Es muy caliente!" Chloe smirked and rolled onto her back, spreading her legs and revealing her underwear. "Oh, dude!" Max sputtered, waving her hands around. "You're the worst. God dammit."

"Sorry, what?" Chloe laughed, sitting back up. "I had to stretch, my back is sore from marching around the Two Whales all day." She stuck her tongue out again.

_That damn tongue._

"You're like a succubus." Max pouted. Chloe cackled in delight, getting on her hands and knees. She began to crawl away from Max, shaking her ass as she did so.

"Bet I could convince you to eat an apple. It's _real_ juicy and delicious, too. All you'd have to do is sell out and condemn all other people to a life of suffering!" She lowered her upper body to the carpet, leaving just her butt in the air, waving from side to side. "Any takers?" She asked flirtatiously.

"I'm eating with my eyes closed from now on!" Max shrieked, flustered.

"Fair enough, Daredevil, just don't miss and stab yourself with the fork." She scrambled back over to her plate and continued eating. "It's always gonna be there if you want it," she added with her mouth full.

"So," Max began after they had finished eating. "How did everything go today?"

"That seems like a good segue," the punk said, snatching her duffel bag from the bed. She pulled it into her lap and unzipped it. "Frank stopped by the liquor store, so I got some stuff too..." She brought out two bottles of wine. "I figure your alcohol palate is probably shit, no offense, so I got a red and a white." She looked over one of the bottles, then up at Max. "Corruption train has pulled into the station?"

_Ooooh! Corruption train! I have my ticket!_

"Well, first of all," Max said as she pointed at Chloe. "I've had wine before, I'm not _that_ sheltered. Remember the stain in your living room? And second, was it that bad? What happened?"

"It wasn't bad, just tiring. Seeing Rachel actually went really well, I didn't even cry!" She held both bottles up victoriously. "But afterward, I went to see my dad. This is really embarrassing, but I haven't visited his grave pretty much since he's been gone. I went like a week after the funeral and then never went back."

"Oh, Chloe." Max moved their plates to the side and scooted closer. She wrapped her in a hug, feeling the girl's breath wash along her cheek.

"It felt good to finally do it," she admitted. "I was thinking I might go back kind of soonish...would you come with?" Max pulled out of the hug just enough so she could rest their foreheads together. "I think it'd be a cool spot to take photos, at the very least."

"Of course I'll go with you, Chloe." She kissed her. "It'd be nice to see William again." She unleashed a flurry of small pecks on Chloe's forehead. "How was Frank, by the way?"

"He was good," she said, taking two red solo cups out of her duffel bag. "He's a lot more mellow now, obviously." She held up the two bottles. "Pinot noir or Moscato?" Max pondered for a moment, then pointed to the Moscato. "Good choice!" Chloe poured Max a cup, then herself. She raised the cup in the air. "Should we toast this shit?"

"To a timeless love?" Max asked, shrinking under the mushiness.

"To a timeless love," Chloe beamed, bonking the cups together.

* * *

Max felt a soothing warmth in her cheeks as she kicked the empty bottle of wine, watching as it rolled across the carpet and under her bed.

"Wine is nice," she said. Chloe wore a smile as she began to pour from the red bottle.

"Wine gives you a good, fluffy feeling. Very swimmy." She giggled as she glanced toward her bag. "Though I did bring something else, should the night demand it."

"Oh? And what's that?" The brunette asked, climbing into Chloe's lap. Maneuvering around the small girl, she pulled out a fifth of Fireball and held it up to her face. "Oooh, I've never had this."

"It just tastes like cinnamon. Which is why it is both awesome and very dangerous!" She unscrewed the cap and held it below Max's nose. "Smell."

"Smells good," she said, taking the bottle. She held it up to her lips.

"Woah, Max, don't do that!" Too late, though, as the girl had managed three generous gulps.

"Ooooh," she rasped, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "Tastes good." Chloe watched her with bulging eyes before a smile crept across her face.

"Okay, I guess it's going to be like that. Gimme that bottle, I'll show you how it's done." She closed her eyes and tipped the bottle to her lips.

* * *

"I think I'm tipsy!" Max declared, holding a finger up.

"I think so too," Chloe agreed, crawling toward her. She straddled her and wrapped her arms around the girl's neck. "How ya feelin'?"

"Light," she replied, closing her eyes and basking in Chloe's cinnamon tinted breath. "You're a great bad influence on me," she said.

"That's what I'm here for!" She began to kiss Max's neck, feeling the girl squirm underneath her. "You're so amazing, Max," she mumbled quietly into the girl's skin. "Just love you so much..." Max giggled and ran a hand through Chloe's hair, gripping it and gently pulling back.

"Does alcohol make you super mushy?" She asked with a toothy grin. The punk shrugged nonchalantly.

"You got a problem with that?"

"Babe, I've got ninety-nine problems but a Chlo ain't one." Her eyes grew wide. "Oh man, my pun game is off the rails."

"Great, so I get all cheesy and snuggly and you channel your inner Red Skelton." Chloe giggled, then pressed their lips together. She backed off abruptly. "Wait, wait...can I ask you something really weird?"

"Of course," Max replied.

"Can..." Her brow furrowed as her cheeks turned red, adding to the flush from drinking. "Can we kiss with our eyes open? Just once, I mean. Is that weird or creepy?" Max sighed a smile, letting her head meet Chloe's.

"That's not weird or creepy. Let's do it."

_It's a little weird, but in a Chloe way. The best way._

Chloe slowly leaned toward Max, keeping her eyes comically wide open. She snaked a hand around the girl's neck gently, and brought their lips together. Max was waiting for it to get sloppy, for Chloe's tentacle tongue to start prodding along her teeth, but it never came. Instead, just their lips met like perfect puzzle pieces. Chloe stared into Max's eyes, and the brunette returned the favor. Though Max was at first humoring her, she found this moment to be incredibly intimate. As though, in Chloe's eyes, she could read her history, her feelings, her worries. She wondered if her own eyes admitted the same details.

The punk exhaled a snicker and began to back away, but Max grabbed her shoulder, hoping her electric eyes could convey the message she was thinking: don't go, not yet. And so they sat a moment longer, reading each others' souls. All of the sorrow in Chloe's eyes, the bright bursts of joy that exploded among the blue every so often. It was a totally new form of communication, just one more step along the path of coalescing into one being...one heart.

"You are so beautiful," Chloe said, her lips mashed against Max's.

"You are," she replied. She noticed a small tear speed away from the edge of Chloe's eye. "What's wrong, babe?"

"Literally nothing." She closed her eyes, kicking two more tears down her cheek. She opened them again slowly. "Max, you just have no idea how happy I am to be with you like this." Chloe brought her other hand to Max's cheek and pressed the kiss deeper, prying open her lips and opening the vortex of love. The kiss wasn't playfully rough as they had mostly been, but instead so gentle, it almost didn't exist.

_I could probably die right now and just...be okay._

Chloe pulled away abruptly, her head jerking toward Max's laptop.

"Who's this?" She asked, stroking Max's cheek absentmindedly.

"They're called Nightmare of You. I really like them." She nuzzled her cheek into the punk's hand.

"This is great. This is..." She looked at Max with conviction. "Up."

"What?" She asked. Chloe bounced to her feet and took Max's hand.

"Get up."

_I know that look._

Max, not fully realizing how tipsy she was, struggled to her feet to meet Chloe's gaze. The blue haired girl held her hand out, the one with Max's attached, and began to move her hips.

"You gonna make me dance?" Max asked with a laugh, covering her face with her free hand. "You know I can't."

"I'ma make you dance," Chloe confirmed sternly, picking up momentum. "Just move, it doesn't have to be Stomp the Yard. Just, damn, listen to the music and move." She pulled Max's hand to her lips and kissed it. Letting go, she let herself fall into a full body rhythm, twisting like an embodiment of the wind. A wind that Max didn't need to fear, but one she could fully embrace and love. Closing her eyes and smiling, Max began to move with her.

The two girls laughed in a childlike way, spinning and gyrating, transforming into younger days of pirate hats and coloring books. Chloe slipped closer to Max, tugging on her hoodie string, and back away just as quickly, biting her lip with giddy excitement. It might have been the most pure form of ecstasy she had seen Chloe display since they've met back up, even after all of their tender moments. Just watching her, moving and sliding along with the music, it was as if she was sloughing off all remaining negativity from those five years apart.

"What's the song called?" She asked, twirling toward Max.

"Ode to Serotonin," she replied, bursting inside with how well it all fit.

_Chloe, I will never be able to explain to you how much I love you. It's beyond anything my speech could muster._

As the song ended, Max flopped into her desk chair, out of breath and only slightly sweat.

_Dancing in a hoodie is not the good look._

Chloe, grinning from ear to ear, slid over to the bed and picked up the bottle of Fireball. She took another swig, then handed it to Max.

"Sometimes I picture you with a halo," Max said as she took a sip of her own. Chloe cackled as she took the bottle back.

"They call those beer goggles, Maxy." She held up the bottle and swung her hips. "Though I don't mind the compliment." A new song kicked in on the playlist, something slower that coated the room in fullness. A playful smirk appeared on Chloe's face as she took a step toward the brunette. "I like this song too," she said. "You have such good taste in music, even if a lot of it is pussy banjo strumming."

"What!" Max squawked. "Chloe, you _like_ that kind of music! Why do you keep pretending you don't?"

"Dunno," she mused, getting closer to Max. "Guess I just like _fuckin_ ' with you." Her emphasis on 'fuckin' caused Max's heart to stutter. Taking another pull from the bottle, she slung one of her legs over Max's lap. With a smile that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame, she waved her pelvis forward, glancing across Max's lap. Using her free hand, she clasped the back of the chair and dipped forward, grazing her breasts against Max's chest and face.

_Am I getting a lap dance? Fuckin' score!_

"Yanno..." Chloe began, facing away from Max. "I'm serious when I say I'd wait as long as you needed, right?" She bent forward, flashing her underwear, and slid her ass into the brunette's lap. "And I mean that, with all my heart, and don't take this the wrong way..." She pressed her back against the girl's chest, tilting her head so her lips were level with her ear. "But you make it, really, _really_ hard." She situated herself so they were facing each other, straddling the girl in the chair. "Sometimes at night, if we're not together, I just think about you..." She attacked Max, clamping her teeth into her bottom lip. She pressed further, wrestling her tongue into the girl's mouth. Max gripped Chloe's waist tightly, receiving the kiss. The punk pulled away slowly, enticing Max's tongue to follow. With a devilish smirk, she pressed their cheeks together and tilted the bottle of liquor into both of their mouths, over both of their tongues. In any other moment, Max might be upset that she had spilled onto her clothes and carpet.

"Uh, I..." Max said quietly, smacking her lips. "I think about you at night too, Chlo." The blue haired girl tilted her head and smiled, almost condescendingly.

"No, no," she said, her voice a low rumble. "I think about you. Think about how sexy you are, you know? And I'll just be alone in bed. And fingers wander..."

_Oh. OH._

"Wowser," Max huffed, her face screaming red. Chloe laughed maniacally, standing up and surveying the bottle.

"I think we've had a bit too much of this," she said with a facetious pout, dragging her fingers along Max's jaw. "And uh, looks like you've gotten a little spill on you..." She slowly poked Max's shirt. She glanced down at her own shirt and gasped. "Oh no, same here." She sighed dramatically. "Whatever shall we do?"

_She knows how to play this game so well, like she's a cat and I'm a mouse. Well...here, kitty kitty._

"Well," Max started with a prideful smile. "We can't just wear spilled on clothes, that would be ridiculous."

"Right!?" Chloe exclaimed. "Thank god we're on the same page, here." With a wink, she jerked her shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor. "Your turn," she said softly. Max stood up and pulled her hoodie off, hanging it over the back of the chair. She bit her lip, not in embarrassment, but excitement, and slowly took off her shirt. Chloe's eyes fell upon the bullet clinging against Max's chest, a big smile growing with each second.

"Oh, fuck, no!" Max shouted, clasping her cheeks in her best Home Alone impression. "I think you got some on your bra, too!" She huffed and shook her head. " _Now_ what?" With a grin so wide, her head threatened to split in half, Chloe took a step toward Max. "I guess we should get rid of that, too." She slid a finger under Chloe's strap and snapped it.

"God damn, you are driving me wild," the punk said abruptly, storming her hands through Max's brown locks. "Can't believe I get to kiss you." She kissed Max, dragging her fingers along the small of her back until they reached her bra. With a small amount of fidgeting, it came undone, and Chloe backed away with it in her hand. She waved it slowly. "Lookie what I found." Feeling the cool air slide against her chest, goosebumps arose along Max's skin.

"Lemme see 'em," Max demanded, giggling at her poor sternness.

_That sure was convincing._

"Oooh, yes ma'am!" Chloe laughed, wrapping her arms behind her back. After a moment, she pulled her hands away as her bra fell to the floor. "You bein' bossy?" She asked as she drifted a finger along her breast.

"Trying and failing," Max snickered, taking a step toward the girl. She glanced down at the skirt, feeling the heat in her stomach rise. "Okay, look, I'm _not_ admitting to any creepy school girl fetish, but that skirt is driving me fucking bananas." Chloe looked down at her skirt and briefly turned left and right. She giggled.

"Uh, Max, tits right in your face." She grabbed the side of her breasts and shook them.

"Well, they're not really as _in_ my face as I'd prefer," Max quipped back. At this, Chloe growled playfully and pounced on the girl, bringing both of them to the floor. She pinned Max's arms down, careful to avoid her wrists, and lowered her chest onto Max's face. "Is this where I'm supposed to motorboat?" She laughed.

"Go for it, tiger," Chloe chuckled. "Ooh, hey now," she said in response to Max biting into her flesh.

"Too hard?" The smaller girl asked, her voice muffled.

"Nuh uh, put some umph into it, killer." She quickly buckled in delight as Max took her advice. Max felt her hands scamper away from her, sliding down Chloe's waist and finding a spot on her backside. She squeezed tightly, feeling the punk's butt for the first time.

_Oooh, so that's why Chloe's always grabbing my ass. It's...nice!_

"Like?" The blue haired girl asked, biting her lip.

"Loooove," she said, smiling, kneading her like a cat. "Is this what Sir Mix-A-Lot was always talkin' about?"

"Yeah, dude! That guy knows his shit. Basically a philosopher." She wiggled her hips. "Hey, Max!" Max merely 'hmm'd,' too absorbed in her new found stressball. Her attention came soaring back as she felt a cool tongue drag across one of her nipples.

"Oh, _god_ , Chloe," she moaned.

"He's got nothin' to do with it," she laughed against Max's chest. After a few more licks, she gently eased her teeth around the pink nub and pulled back gently. Shuddering in ecstasy, Max gripped her hair, moaning out something that couldn't possibly be considered English.

"How do you _do_ that!?" Max laughed in amazement. "Everything you do feels so amazing." Chloe tilted her head up, resting her chin on Max's chest and stared with half-lidded eyes.

"Skills, sista." She brought a hand next to her, tracing circles around one of Max's nipples. "So, how you feelin'?"

_FUCKING AMAZING WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT THIS IS LIKE NIRVANA_

"Pretty good," she replied coolly. She slowly ran fingers through Chloe's hair, then frowned. "God, I want to do it _so_ bad, Chloe." The punk cocked an eyebrow in confusion, slinging her index against Max's lips.

"Dude, chill. It's fine. No action below the waist and I'm totally okay with that. It'll just be that much better when it happens, you know?" She rested on her knees and straightened up, stretching her arms. Max's eyes climbed up the cloth of her skirt, up her porcelain, toned stomach, and focused on the underside of Chloe's breasts.

_This would be a beautiful...and pervy, photo._

"Hey," the punk said, staring down at the brunette. "I have an idea."

"You're using your succubus tone," Max reminded, reaching up to cup Chloe's breast.

" _Well..._ " She began, rocking side to side with a smile. "Nothing below the waist. Don't want to make you uncomfortable. But like, I was just thinking..." Chloe took one of her blue nailed fingers and slid it slowly past Max's lips. As if on instinct, she felt it with her tongue and sucked. With dangerous eyes, she removed her finger and brought it to her chest, slowly dragging it downward. "I was just thinking..." she repeated. "Your waist, not mine. And, hey, we're pretty tipsy. I'm feelin' courageous." Her finger crept downward, slipping under the waist of her skirt. "You in the mood for a show?"

_Oh my god, quick...think of something witty. Something clever. Quick!_

"Uh huh," she said, nodding dumbly. Chloe smirked and sat on her butt, gripping the waist of her skirt and tugging it off. She playfully tossed it in Max's face as the girl sat up. The punk crawled toward her, slipping one leg over Max's and gripping into her shoulder. "Chloe..." She said, without having any other words planned. The blue haired girl gave her a small kiss, then leaned back, using her grip on Max's shoulder to keep her balance.

"So, I just mean..." She began with her best sexy tone. "Sometimes I'm alone, and I'll just be thinkin' about 'cha..." She dipped her hand into her underwear, her eyes clamping shut immediately. Max watched as Chloe's hand twitched behind her panties, her heart rate speeding up more than she could have ever imagined. "And, of course, I always just think of you. You're always on my mind. But sometimes, I think about you without all these fucking clothes in the way." Her laugh was punctured with deep breaths. "Those are such a bummer, right? So I think of you naked, obviously, and...with me..." Max felt Chloe's nails dig into her shoulder as she heaved forward.

_Am I just super drunk? Is this really happening?_

"I'll pretend that my hand is yours, pretend that I can feel your breath on my neck...my ears...my lips...my _tits_." She bit her lip and giggled. "You're quite handsy in these daydreams." She opened her eyes and leaned forward, dragging her tongue along Max's lips. "Among other things. My mind can get pretty crazy. But, uh..." Her nails dug deeper as she rested her chin on the brunette's other shoulder. "What really gets me hot is not imagining what you're doing to _me_ , but when I get my hands on _you_." Max felt herself blush when she realized how aroused she was becoming, trying and failing to tug her legs shut.

"What, uh," Max rasped, her voice quivering. "What kind of stuff do you think of?" She could feel Chloe 'mmm' against her collar, her hips still slowly bucking.

" _Well_ , now that you mention it..." She began to suck on Max's collarbone. "I just dream about making you scream in ecstasy. In any way possible. You deserve the absolute best, in my humble 'lil opinion. And I think about touchin' you, being able to hit the right spot that just makes you fuckin' drool..."

"Oh Jesus, Chloe..." Max sighed in a mixture of embarrassment and arousal. The punk laughed weakly, basking in her own ecstasy.

"Don't even get me started on tasting you," she said, angling her head so she could kiss Max's neck. "You have no fuckin' _idea_ how wet that gets me." She stopped, nestling her cheek into Max's shoulder. "Hmmm...well, actually..." She backed off, still clinging to Max, and slowly removed her hand. The brunette's jaw slacked open when she saw Chloe's glistening fingers. The punk bit her bottom lip again and arched an eyebrow. Using her "free" hand, she cupped Max's jaw, keeping her mouth open, and carefully slid her finger into Max's mouth.

At the taste, Max's mind shattered into a thousand, tiny pieces of bliss. A serpent of warmth uncoiled in her veins as she clutched Chloe's wrist tightly, sealing her lips around her finger and sucking. Making eye contact with the punk, she watched in glee as her expression fell from triumphant 'sex queen' to awestruck. Max pulled away slowly, letting her tongue linger for just a moment.

_Wowsers, Max, that was totally, fucking, completely..._

"Hardcore," Chloe whispered. "Wow, holy fuck, I'm like a fucking faucet right now." Max's eyes widened in horror before she began giggling, with Chloe following suit.

"A _faucet_!?" Max shrieked, laughing like a lunatic.

"Oh, WHAT, a girl can't compare herself to household appliances!?" She gently pushed Max, who pushed her back.

"You are insane," she said, grinning. "In the best possible way."

"Says the girl who just lapped up my pussy juice like a deranged kitten!" Chloe stared in mock surprise, anticipating disgust as Max's eyes widened. The brunette gasped in shock.

"Don't say it like that! Oh my god!" Her face was deepening into a dark scarlet. "You're the worst! The _worst_!" She flung both of her forearms to her face to cover her embarrassment. "Can't believe you," she squealed.

"Uh huh, I'm a real mood killer. Hey, you left yourself open." Max only had a second to ponder what she meant before she felt lips crash into her chest, forcing her onto her back. She lifted her head up to see Chloe watching her with her tongue sneaking through a sleazy smile, creeping closely to her nipple. "What 'choo gon' do about it?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"Oh, you're _so_ on!" Max declared, using all of her strength to sit up and pounce on Chloe.

* * *

The smell of smoke scurried into Max's nose, causing her to stir awake.

_Chloe smoking cigs in my room. Not cool but...fuck, she can do whatever the hell she wants, man._

She smiled to herself, her eyes closed. Her mind began filling in events of the night before, specifically watching Chloe pleasure herself as she described the unbelievably sexy things she wanted to do to Max. She remembered tasting her girlfriend, causing her to feel embarrassed all over again, and she remembered the ensuing half-naked wrestling match that Chloe _definitely_ let her win.

She ran a hand down her chest, feeling that, oh yes, she was still in fact half-naked.

_Sleeping naked...well, naked-ish next to Chloe...now that is something I could DEFINITELY get used to._

Releasing a petite yawn, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She saw an underwear only Chloe sitting cross legged in the corner of the room, holding the cigarette high above her so the smoke would mostly flow through the window. Max slid her legs over the bed and stretched, grinning to herself.

"G'morning, princess!" Max snickered. "I'm not hungover at all! But I do have the strangest taste in my mouth!" She began to laugh, but it stalled as Chloe offered no reaction. "Chlo? You okay?" Her brow furrowed when she was ignored once more. Feeling worried, she sprang from the bed and approached the blue haired girl. "Hey, Chloe, what's up?" She noticed her trembling, her eyes locked in an endless staring contest with the wall. Hesitant, she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Chloe? Please say something..."

"Shot him..." She muttered, her voice small and cracked.

_Shot him? What is she...oh no, oh no!_

"Chloe, wait, stop!" Max pleaded, throwing herself around the girl. "Those dreams didn't really happen. Everything's okay now!"

"I just _fuckin'_ shot him, Max..." She turned to her, revealing glassy eyes. "And Pompidou..." She took a deep, uneven breath. "I can't believe I did that."

"But you _didn't,_ Chloe! He's fine! You were just with him yesterday, remember? He was perfectly fine, doing well, even! You saw him yesterday!" She rested her cheek between Chloe's shoulder blades, doing her damnedest not to cry, to be the strong one for a change.

_You can help her, Max. You can do this._

"Chloe..." She said quietly, pulling the girl into her lap so she could run her fingers through her hair. "I'm so, _so_ sorry you have to see these things, but you have to remember that we fixed everything. Everything's pretty fucking great now! Partners in crime and time, right? We fuckin' _fixed_ it!" She sighed, leaning down and kissing her temple. "I'm sorry, Chloe, if I could, I'd make it so you didn't have to see this shit." Feeling her throat tighten when Chloe didn't respond, she closed her eyes.

_Trump card, I guess._

"Chloe, he was going to hurt me..." The blue haired girl took a sharp intake of breath. She shifted in Max's lap so they could see each others' eyes.

"I know," she whispered. "And you know I'd do anything to keep you safe. It's just...hard to think that in some weird, back alley universe, that shit actually happened." Max stroked her hair.

"But you and me are _here_ , pretty much naked and in love. Be here with me, please?" She snickered. "Hey," she tapped Chloe on the temple, "look." Max straightened her posture and squeezed her breasts together, wiggling her hips. She cracked a wide smile. "My boobs are too small to do this."

"Your boobs are fuckin' rad, bitch, shut up," Chloe laughed. She sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just really hard to try and situate which me is _me_ when I see myself in those dreams. It's like depersonalization but to an extreme level. It's just like..." She shrugged. "Even with all the crazy time tripping you did, you were always _you_. But I was seeing me but it _wasn't_ me. It's just so mindfuck-y."

_Jesus, this is so fucked. Chloe actually has something about time travel that I can't relate too... That's a depressing thought._

"Wanna give Frank a call to make sure he's okay?" The brunette asked. Chloe was silent for a moment, then nodded. Max helped her to her feet and gave her a tight hug. She retrieved the punk's phone and handed it to her, giving her a reassuring nod. Chloe dialed the number and held the phone to her ear, laughing at how ridiculous she looked in just her underwear.

"Hey, Frank...what, no, nothing's wrong... I was just calling to check up on you... Yes, I know I'm not your mother, thank fucking god... Hey, man, you bought a lot of booze yesterday, I just wanted to make sure you woke up!... Yeah, yeah, you're my friend too... Alright, I'll talk to you later."

She tossed the phone onto Max's bed, immediately bulldozing into the brunette until they too were in her bed.

"Thanks for that, Max." She squinted at the ceiling. "I'm kinda hungover," Chloe admitted, snuggling into her girlfriend. "Feels like little baby gnomes are drilling into my temples."

"Well, tell 'em to go away! We got things to do today!" She nipped at Chloe's nose as the girl playfully groaned.

"What the hell we gotta do today?" She asked with a pout.

"Uh, making out and ogling each other and maybe watching a movie and pestering the kids." She clenched her jaw in feigned fright. "Dear lord, if Kate knew what we got up to in here. Hoooo boy." Chloe gained a victorious smirk.

"That'll be fourteen Hail-Mary's, six Our Father's, four Macarena's and a Partridge in a Pear Tree." She made the sign of the cross over herself. "Want in on this?" She asked on the sly, as if offering drugs.

"Never touched the stuff," Max laughed, rolling to her side and smushing their faces together. "Hey, I love you."

"I love you too, beautiful." She unleashed a flurry of kisses. "Sorry about teensy meltdown. And I'm sorry if I got a little crazy last night."

"Kay, first, don't apologize for your fucked up time dreams. That is not your fault. And second of all...you got _really_ crazy last night, but I am _so_ into it." She quickly pinched Chloe's piercing, inciting a small shudder in the blue haired girl. She leaned in close to Chloe's ear. "How often do you put on shows?" She whispered. "I'd like to catch a few." The punk stared at her with wide eyes.

"And yet you _still_ pretend like you're NOT sexy!" She bounced up from the bed, flailing her arms. "You are ridiculous. Ridiculous." Chloe whipped around as Max started to snicker, holding up an index finger. "RIDICULOUS." She huffed and faced away from the brunette, her foot grazing across something as she did so. "Oooh, what have we here?" She bent down and retrieved two plastic packets. "Fortune cookies," she said excitedly as she sat back down.

"Gimme!" Max demanded, tearing one out of the girl's grasp. Chloe narrowed her eyes.

"Fine, I didn't want that one anyway." The girls unwrapped the cookies, with Max struggling with the packaging. "So, you know we have to do 'in bed' rules, right?"

"We _are_ in bed," Max said innocently.

"Ow, my sides," Chloe said dryly. "No, you gotta add 'in bed' at the end of your fortune! Trust me, it's awesome. Watch..." She cracked open the cookie, shoving half of it in her mouth and crunching. She held the thin paper up to her face. "Your biggest adventures are yet to be had...in bed." She turned to Max with a grin. "Oooh la la, Maxine, you're apparently going to rock my goddamn socks."

"Dammit, cookie, stop putting pressure on me!" Max scowled, holding a fist out over the uneaten half of Chloe's cookie. "Fine, we'll see what mine says." She snapped open the cookie. "The creeks, streams and rivers of your life will merge into one ocean...in bed." Max raised an eyebrow and regarded Chloe.

_The fuck does that mean?_

"Sounds like you're gonna piss the bed tonight," she teased. She wrapped an arm around Max, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Hey, no worries, I won't make fun of you. Accidents happen!" A loud growl rumbled from Chloe's stomach. "Hmm. Hella fuckin' hungry." Her eyes lit up, followed by a doofy smile. "Welp, guess it's a good thing we have a zillion Chinese doughnuts. Now that's a breakfast of champions if ever I heard!" Chloe hopped off the bed once more, shaking her ass in celebration. "You want in on this, babygirl?"

"Yeah, I'll have some," Max said, staring at her fortune and frowning.


	20. The Storm

The wind swirled through her head, gnawing at the edges of her sanity. She stood by the lighthouse overlooking the bay, watching as the storm barreled toward the town. Her stomach knotted, flaring out a dark, dull pain through her abdomen. The electricity in the air tugged at her hair, pulling it toward the black sky. Whimpering and daring not look away, she felt beside her. A hand eased itself around hers, gripping protectively.

"Max, I'll always be with you..." The grip slowly tightened into a vice, crushing her knuckles together uncomfortably. Wincing, she tried to jerk her hand free, spinning to the side in panic. "In _our_ Dark Room," Jefferson said with a serene, lifeless smile.

"No!" Max shrieked as she sat up, flinging the covers off of her. Her body heaved with sickness as she breathed heavily, her eyes scanning the room around her. Suddenly, her room lit up, followed by a loud crack of thunder. Her heart fell through her stomach. "Oh god, oh no, fuck. _**Fuck!**_ " She leaped from her bed and to the window. She tore on the drawstring, ripping the blinds to the top of the glass, revealing a vicious storm. She clapped a hand to her mouth as she sobbed.

_This can't be happening! This cannot be fucking happening!_

Shaking, she grabbed her phone and dialed Chloe's number. With each passing second of unanswered ringing, her chest grew heavier, the world around her growing blurrier and further away.

"Max?" Chloe finally answered, her voice sleepy but concerned. "It's like two in the morning, what are you doing up?"

"Are you okay?" She cried, watching as the poster on the wall melted into colors with no shape. "It came back, Chloe! It's fucking back! Please, tell me you're okay!" There was a stunned silence that seemed to drag forever.

"Max..." Her voice was more alert, but low. "It's just a regular thunderstorm. They've been calling for it for days. It's just a normal storm..." Max shook her head, her lips bundling up as she cried.

"No, Chloe! I had a dream! It's real, it's _back_! It came back for me!" Her toes spread out slightly, digging into the carpet beneath her feet.

"I'm coming," Chloe said. Max could hear her shuffling through her room.

"You can't! It's too dangerous!" She hugged herself with one arm tightly as she sobbed.

"Baby, please, listen to me..." Her voice was so tender and pleading. "I'm coming to you, okay? I'll be there in a little, just hang tight. Can you go to Warren's until I get there? I don't want you to be alone." Max cringed as her room lit up again, her fist binding so tightly that her nails broke skin.

"It's back, Chloe," she repeated, her voice merely a whisper.

"Go to Warren's, _please_. I'm begging you." Max heard drawers opening and slamming shut. She closed her eyes as she chewed on her lower lip. "Max, are you there?"

"Please be careful," she said, turning toward her door.

"I will, I promise." Max walked toward her door, each step feeling like her bones were made of gelatin. All she could hear besides Chloe were steel raindrops. "Max?" Chloe said.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

* * *

Having little control of her nerves, her knocks on Warren's door ranged between slams and light tapping. She glanced about wildly as she clawed into her ribcage, feeling for something she could hold onto for support. After a dreadfully long moment, the door swung open.

"Whazzit who?" Warren asked, half asleep. The lack of lighting obscured the dire look on Max's face.

"Warren..." Her voice cracked. "Can I please come in? I think I'm going crazy." She imagined the Other Max from her Nightmare dancing and holding her arms out, twitching her wrists in a putrid attempt at jazz hands.

" _Aaaaand Bingo was his name-o!"_ She could hear her saying.

"Uh...yeah, for sure, come in." He shuffled to side and allowed her entrance. He closed the door and turned on the light, recoiling in horror as he saw her. "Holy shit, Max, are you okay? What happened?" He grabbed her shoulders tightly, causing her to wince, and examined her face.

"The storm..." She said quietly. "It was supposed to happen? The weather people talked about it?" He furrowed his brow in confusion and shook his head.

"What are you talking about? Max, you're covered in blood!" Her eyes sparked wide as she reached a finger to her nose. As she felt the viscous liquid on her face, the rest of her senses zoomed back to her. She was suddenly very aware of the metallic taste in her mouth.

"God _dammit_ ," she hissed, pressing her palm to her lips and closing her eyes.

_Of **course**. I'm just fucking losing it._

"Will you please tell me what happened?" Warren asked. He exhaled as realization dawned on him. "Jesus, is this a time thing?"

"Yep," she said bitterly, shaking her head in disgust. "Just losing my mind, no big deal." Her eyes trailed to the floor as she shrunk in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I woke you up. Chloe told me to come here. She's on her way over."

"Dude, what? Don't even worry. I just...is there like, anything I can do for you?" He snagged a box of tissues from his dresser and handed it to her. "What happened?"

"I just had a nightmare," she said, dabbing her face. "About the timestorm. It was..." She shivered. "Not cool."

_Fucking Jefferson. Why did it have to be him?_

"And just that's enough to make your nose bleed?" He guided her to his couch and sat down with her.

"It doesn't take much." She felt beneath her chin, her fingers prodding along sticky, drying blood. "I thought the storm was back." He sighed as he rubbed her back.

"Well, I mean, it's kind of understandable that storms could cause anxiety, and that's a big thing with dreams...you probably subconsciously heard the weather and just filled in the gaps. Like when you hear a song in a dream that's actually playing in real life." He thought for a moment. "The storm we're having right now has been in the forecast for days. It's only going to last a couple hours."

"Okay," she conceded, peeling the tissue away from her face. "Just a normal storm."

"Right." He nodded. "Max..." He shook his head with worry. "This is really serious. That's a lot of blood. We've gotta figure out how to stop it."

"How?" She asked, holding her hands in front of her. "There's not a lot of time traveler news in the medical journal."

"Well, you're not wrong." He took the tissue from her, crinkling his nose as the blood touched his hand. "But there's gotta be something we can do to fix this." She spread her fingers, grinding her teeth in disgust as the stickiness offered resistance.

"I don't know, Warren. It's not like I can find whoever...whatever gave me these powers and tell them to knock it off." She plucked another tissue from the box and wiped her chin.

"But this sucks," he frowned.

"You think?" She asked, turning to him with a knowing look. "I wasn't sure but now that you've put it out there, I think you might be right." He chuckled quietly.

"I deserved that." A roar of thunder shook the room, causing Max to press into him as she shuddered.

"Just a normal storm," she repeated to herself.

* * *

There was a single, sharp knock at the door.

"Warren? Max? You guys in there?"

"Yeah," he said. "Come in."

Chloe burst through the door, soaked to the bone, and rushed over to Max. She knelt down in front of the girl, taking both of her hands.

"Are you okay?" She asked, clutching both of the brunette's hands together and kissing them. Max nodded slowly, then shook her head, sliding off of the couch and into Chloe's arms.

"I'm so broken," she whimpered, pressing into the punk's wet clothes.

"And I'm your glue, remember? It's okay. Everything's fine." She gently rubbed her back, rocking back and forth. Chloe regarded Warren and nodded. "Hey, dude."

"Hi," he responded with a grim expression. "She uh, had a nightmare." He looked down to the pile of bundled up, bloody tissues in his lap. "Are all of your nosebleeds this bad?"

"It depends." Max was holding on to Chloe's shirt so tightly that her knuckles burned. "Sometimes it's like nothing, but sometimes it's just...way, way worse."

"Do you think there's a reason for that?" He asked.

"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." She could feel the tears on her cheeks.

"Well, at least we have some common ground there," Chloe lightly laughed, stroking Max's hair. "Who has any idea what's going on?"

"I sure as fuck don't," Warren said with a smile.

"I thought it was back," Max whispered to Chloe. The punk sighed and pressed their foreheads together.

"It's not back. It's _never_ coming back. It had its chance and we beat it, fair and square." She pointed to the window. "That's just normal, dumb rain. No tornado or flying debris or witches on broomsticks. Just average, boring rain."

"And boring is good!" Warren offered with his thumbs up. "We like boring."

"I like boring," Max agreed, her voice small.

"Trust me, cutie, I'm all the excitement you'll ever need." Chloe nibbled at the top of Max's ear, causing the girl to instinctively giggle.

_You're all the excitement I'll ever want._

After a few more moments, Max's breathing finally evened out and she released her death grip on Chloe. The punk continued to cradle her, though she looked at Warren with a small smile.

"So, uh, what've you been up to?"

"Ooooh, you know, little bit of this, little bit of that." Chloe quickly nodded at the brunette, glancing back and forth between her and Warren. "I, uh...got this rare mount in World of Warcraft today."

"Oh, _really_?" Chloe asked with grandiose interest. "What is it?" Her grin grew wider as Max twitched in her arms.

_What the **fuck** are they talking about?_

"Oh, you know, it's this fucking badass phoenix is all! Took me like six months to get." He smiled too, his eyes darting to Max and back at Chloe.

"So badass! Wow!" She hopped in place, jostling the brunette with her. "That's super cool, man. I bet you can kill a million goblins or orcs."

"Actually, I'm Horde, those guys are on my side, but gnomes on the other hand..."

"What the _fuck,_ guys!?" Max finally shouted, pulling away from Chloe and looking at her grumpily. "Why are you talking about WoW?"

"To distract you, ya little dork," Chloe beamed, ruffling her hair. Max reeled in her anger and blinked confusedly. She looked at Warren as the blue haired girl kissed her temple.

"Oh," she said flatly. She held up her hands and noticed the shaking had stopped. She burst into laughter, lightly slapping Chloe on the cheek. "You guys are dumb."

"It worked though," Warren said, winking at Chloe.

"It worked," Max admitted. She narrowed her eyes at Warren. "Did you really get the Ashes of Al'ar?"

"Swear to god!" He held his right hand up. "I really did." Max pursed her lips in thought, giving a loud, inquisitive 'hmmmm.'

"You want to see it, don't you?" Chloe asked, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, please," she mumbled quietly, batting her lashes.

"Okay, I'll log in," Warren laughed.

The two girls huddled around Warren as he sat at his desk and brought up the game. Chloe kept a watchful eye on Max, though now the brunette was completely focused on the screen.

"Of course you play a hunter," Max snarked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, fuck you," he chuckled. He clicked through a few buttons and poof, his character was riding a flaming bird.

"Woooooah." Max reached for the screen. "I'd heard the legends."

"Pretty cool, right?" He held out a hand and she high-fived it, though she noticed him frown at her bloody palm. Chloe groaned in jest.

"You guys are ridiculous." She draped an arm across Max's shoulders. "Sweetie, you ready to go?" Max recoiled in surprise, a toothy smile filling out her face.

"You sound like a waitress," she chided, poking Chloe's ribs.

_I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN._

"That was super waitress-y," Warren droned, still maneuvering his character on screen. Chloe stared at her with a crinkled brow.

"You'll regret that, brat." She leveled an index finger at her. "I will make you pay." Max bent down and kissed her outstretched finger.

"Can't wait," she said with a smirk. She glanced through the window then sighed. "Yeah, I'm ready to try and get some sleep."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks for being here, Warren." Chloe slapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Uh huh," he said quietly, completely enraptured in the game.

_Aaaand we've lost him._

Chloe looped her and Max's arms together as they made for the door. She turned around as she opened it.

"Hey, Warren?"

"Yo," he answered on autopilot, feverishly clicking.

"I like your boxers, dude." The clicking ceased as the boy looked down at his lap. He shrieked and crossed his legs, forcefully pushing his palms over his crotch. The punk cackled as the two girls stepped into the hall.

"You know, I wasn't going to say anything," Max whispered to her.

* * *

Max was smiling as they walked down the hall arm in arm.

_Chloe and Warren to the rescue! That...actually wasn't so bad._

A thunderous bang rumbled the building, immediately spiking Max's breathing and anxiety. She stopped in her tracks, beginning to tremble. Her nerve began to leave.

_Fucking storm._

"Max?" Chloe wrapped her in a hug. "Baby, it's just thunder. You know, god bowling or...whatever they used to tell us." She sighed as she rested her head on Max's shoulder.

"I'm just going to freak out any time there's a storm?" Her tone was so defeated.

"No," Chloe said with conviction, perking up, continuing to pull Max along. "Just have to figure out how to..." She stopped as they entered the stairwell. She bit her lip as she looked down the flight of steps, working it nervously in thought. "Max, I have a stupid and possibly reckless idea, as usual. Will you indulge?" The brunette couldn't help but snicker at her honesty.

"Sure," she said. "Why not?"

_Anything for a distraction._

"Sweeeet." She smiled and gave Max's hand a tug. "Allons-y." She began climbing the stairs heading up.

"You and fucking French," Max laughed, already feeling comfort at the blue haired girl's touch.

"Someday," the punk grunted as she climbed the steps, "we're going to go to Paris and you'll be _so_ happy I can speak like eleven words of French." She flashed a smile over her shoulder.

"Where are we going?"

"Mmn, it's a surprise? A bad one, but hear me out..." They continued up the stairs until they reached the door to the roof. Max moved herself in front of Chloe with a stern look on her face.

"No way," she said. "I'm not going out onto the roof in a thunderstorm. For like...a million reasons."

"Overwrite saved data," Chloe said as she ran a hand through the girl's hair. "We're going to win back your tolerance of poor weather just like we did photography." Max's expression softened as she looked to the floor. "I know you're nervous." Chloe brought her arms around her. "But I'm with you." She slipped an arm from the brunette's shoulder, clutched the door handle and twisted, opening themselves to the storm.

_Kate never came up here...they never thought to lock the door. Wonderful._

"Chloe, I'm not sure about this..." She took a few steps backwards, shaking her head. The punk found the girl's hand and laced their fingers together.

"I'm with you," she repeated. "Come on, baby, you can do this." She stepped out and was immediately engulfed by the rain, her outstretched arm connected to the dry Max. "Feels hella nice," she shouted with a smile, stomping her feet playfully. Max took a deep breath and stepped out to meet her.

The rain quickly erased any hint of dry cloth, skin or hair, soaking her. She cringed at the sensation, feeling as though each drop burned her. Slowly, Chloe led her to the center of the roof and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"The last time I was up here..." Max began, but the punk jostled her.

"No, stop. That's a good memory, we're keeping that one. You saved your friend's life." The sky exploded in a shriek of white, causing Max to jump.

"No, Chloe, I can't do this. This is just fucking dangerous!" She winced as the corresponding thunder rolled in. "Can't we just go back inside? Please?"

_I can feel that same electricity..._

"We can in a minute," she responded, holding Max tightly. "Do you know what today is?" The brunette shook her head. Chloe gained an open mouthed smile, something that registered as fake shock. She began to laugh like a maniac. "Wow!" She yelled, acting incredulous. "I can't believe you forgot already!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Max waved her hands in frustration, pulling herself away from Chloe. The punk drooped her head to the side, issuing a small, loving smile. She cupped Max's cheeks with both hands.

"Today is the eleventh of November. The one month anniversary of the storm...and of us being together." She enveloped Max in a kiss, flinging her body into the smaller girl's. As their lips met, the rain falling upon them began to feel...cleansing. Max dug in deeper, snatching Chloe by the waist as she coerced her mouth open. The memory of the two of them at the lighthouse burned bright in her mind. She saw that moment, the one that was meant to be their final farewell. The decision that would pull them apart forever.

"You're thinking about it too, right?" Chloe asked as they broke the kiss. "Our first...well, technically second kiss." She backed up at and beamed at Max. "I guess it'd be the fourteenth by your count, huh?" She took a deep breath and stared out over Blackwell. "This has been the happiest month of my life, Max, and it's all thanks to you. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I sleep. And if I'm being totally honest...I could be struck by lightning right now and I'd be pretty cool with it. You've made me so, so happy."

"Don't say that," Max scolded, her heart aching at just the thought. Chloe laughed quietly and nodded, taking Max's hand.

"Don't worry," she said as Max followed her gaze. "Max, I'll always be with you."

And it was just like that, the ritual was complete. Hearing those words, the same ones Jefferson dared to say in her nightmare. Hearing them in her voice, knowing the situation was so much different and so special. The rain suddenly felt less heavy on her skin. The thunder seemed soothing instead of raging. The storm before her _and_ the one behind her no longer harassed her thoughts. Her lips curved into a smile as Chloe's thumb playfully swatted at her palm. A single word, as if preprogrammed, burst into her mind with sparkling exuberance, a torch to burn away all doubts.

"Forever..." she said.


	21. Bonus: Texts #2

**Mom:** MAXINE CAULFIELD YOU ARE DATING CHLOE PRICE WHAT  
 **Mom:** :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)  
 **Max:** So I guess Pop told you, then. Yes, I am!  
 **Mom:** So romantic! It's like this romance novel I was just reading!  
 **Max:** About queer teenagers?  
 **Mom:** I have eclectic tastes.

* * *

**Chloe:** i said a hip hop sup hippie?  
 **Max:** The hippie? To the hip, hip hop, and you don't stop a rock it  
 **Chloe:** to the bang bang boogie say up jump the boogie  
 **Max:** To the rhythm of the boogie, the beat  
 **Max:** NOW WHAT YOU HEAR IS NOT A TEST  
 **Chloe:** im rapping to the beat and me the...groove and...  
 **Chloe:** FUCK YOU WIN AGAIN  
 **Max:** Muahahaha! I will always win at Rapper's Delight Text Tag

* * *

**Max:** Victor?  
 **Max:** VICTOR  
 **Victoria:** STOP CALLING ME THAT  
 **Max:** Sorry, Victor. I'll stop, Victor.  
 **Victoria:** I fucking loathe that we are friends now.  
 **Max:** I love you too Victor!

* * *

**Max:** I really, really miss you.  
 **Chloe:** your right next to me  
 **Chloe:** you just slapped me in the face with your foot  
 **Max:** But it's the thought that counts though

* * *

**Juliet:** Hi, Max!  
 **Juliet:** I'm working on a new report and was wondering if you'd be willing to take some pics for it?  
 **Max:** That sounds awesome! I'm totally down to help you out.  
 **Juliet:** Great! I'll catch you in the hall or something later to discuss.  
 **Max:** Sounds like a plan!  
 **Max:** xomaxo

* * *

**Max:** If I were a Queen song, what would I be?  
 **Chloe:** definitely stormtrooper in stilettos no question  
 **Max:** Lol of course you'd pick a deep cut  
 **Chloe:** why what would i be?  
 **Max:** I dunno...  
 **Max:** Like a dubstep mashup of Fat Bottomed Girls and You're My Best Friend?  
 **Chloe:** that sounds fucking awful max  
 **Chloe:** im into it

* * *

**Joyce:** Max, did you get the lunch I packed for you?  
 **Max:** YES! Joyce, it was AMAZING. And you cut the crust off!  
 **Joyce:** I have the memory of an elephant, kiddo ;)  
 **Max:** Thank you so much! You are a rockstar!  
 **Joyce:** LOL love you too

* * *

**Chloe:** man you know what fuckin sucks  
 **Max:** What?  
 **Chloe:** when your just layin in bed tryin to sleep and its like  
 **Chloe:** goddamn do i wish i had some max ass to grab  
 **Max:** Huh. I don't have that problem.  
 **Max:** Grabbin it right now.  
 **Chloe:** this is how tantalus felt

* * *

**Kate:** lol Max you buttdialed me earlier!  
 **Max:** Oh no! Sorry about that.  
 **Kate:** That's okay! You and Chloe are quite loud kissers  
 **Max:** SORRY I LEFT THE STOVE ON BYE

* * *

**Chloe:** MAX  
 **Chloe:** YOU. ME. WINE. BOTH SHARKNADOS.  
 **Max:** Only you could make that sound amazing.  
 **Chloe:** BUT ITS GONNA HAPPEN TONIGHT  
 **Max:** Okay!  
 **Chloe:** YOU CANT TALK ME OUT OF IT  
 **Max:** I DIDNT SAY NO  
 **Chloe:** sorry i just assumed youd protest and had too much fight in me to let it go to waste  
 **Max:** Waste not, want not, I guess!

* * *

**Taylor:** Maaaaaax im bored  
 **Taylor:** this class sucks massive balls  
 **Max:** How massive we talkin' here?  
 **Taylor:** Dude  
 **Taylor:** huge. like enough to feed a village for months  
 **Max:** Oh god, why is that your go to unit of measurement?  
 **Taylor:** I dont know and I'm pretty upset about it tbh  
 **Max:** Sorry to hear that. FYI, teach can see you text. Abort mission!

* * *

**Chloe:** I REALLY MISS YOU  
 **Chloe:** WHATS WRONG CANT TEXT BACK WHILE IM SITTING ON YOUR HEAD  
 **Chloe:** HAHAHAHAHAHAHA  
 **Chloe:** you know, actually...

* * *

**Dana:** Maxy-smaxy  
 **Max:** What kind of nickname is that?  
 **Dana:** IDK I was just winging it lol  
 **Dana:** At any rate, me and the boys are hanging tonight  
 **Dana:** Feel free to drop by! Bring Chlo-ala Bear  
 **Dana:** Sry I'm already baked  
 **Max:** I can tell, save some please

* * *

**Chloe:** allllmost done work! want any noms?  
 **Max:** Pamcakes and Arcadia Bay-con!  
 **Chloe:** lol k  
 **Chloe:** ill grab that and head over. love you boo  
 **Max:** DID YOU JUST CALL ME BOO  
 **Chloe:** fuck  
 **Chloe:** what  
 **Chloe:** no  
 **Chloe:** fuckkkk  
 **Chloe:** HOW DO UNSEND

* * *

**Max:** HAPPY BIRTHDAY WARREN!~!~!  
 **Warren:** Ahhh thank you! (^_^)  
 **Max:** Chloe says she wants to take you to a strip club  
 **Warren:** As absolutely terrifying as that sounds, I can't, I'm only 17  
 **Max:** OHMIGOSH I KEEP FORGETTING YOURE A BABY  
 **Warren:** Well that's emasculating  
 **Max:** It's adorable is what it is

* * *

**Chloe:** david just let me drink a beer with him  
 **Chloe:** like straight out of a fuckin family sitcom  
 **Chloe:** "pop a squat champ and lets talk about the big game"  
 **Max:** Ha! That's good though! You guys are bonding  
 **Chloe:** gives me indigestion  
 **Max:** Oh stop, you know you love it.  
 **Chloe:** he drinks shitty beer though  
 **Max:** You try so hard to find the negatives  
 **Chloe:** siiiigh i know  
 **Chloe:** and it was pretty okay beer

* * *

**Max:** Kate! Wanna grab a cup 'o tea later?  
 **Kate:** Sure! Is Chloe coming?  
 **Max:** Nah, she's working.  
 **Kate:** Boo that is hella not why I prefer.  
 **Max:** That was a good try, Kate.

* * *

**Max:** Well, that's true. Anyway, gotta get to class. Love you BOO.  
 **Chloe:** i just get this really evil, dry heave sensation when we say that?  
 **Max:** Hmm  
 **Max:** I think that's love

* * *

**Courtney:** Hiya Max!  
 **Max:** Hey! What's up Courtney?  
 **Courtney:** So, I was just wondering...do you know how serious Warren and Brooke are?  
 **Max:** Red light. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200  
 **Courtney:** Damn :( okay, but I'll be keeping an eye on them!

* * *

**Chloe:** i know you said i should be writing more so i wrote you a poem  
 **Max:** Really?  
 **Chloe:** yeah dude. check it.  
 **Chloe:** roses are red, my dumb head is blue  
 **Chloe:** from the bottom of my heart  
 **Chloe:** i wanna bang you  
 **Max:** Easy there, Dickinson

* * *

**Dad:** Aunt Mildred said your cousin Oscar told her you got your nose pierced?  
 **Max:** How does cousin Oscar know anything when he lives in a trash can?!  
 **Dad:** Ha! He gets Facebook in there. Send pics, I bet it looks cute.  
 **Max:** Man, I don't know what I'd have to do if I actually wanted to rebel against you guys  
 **Dad:** Well I sure as hell didn't raise no Decepticon sympathizer  
 **Max:** My friend Warren would love you

* * *

**Chloe:** hey cutiepie, whatcha wearin?  
 **Max:** Hoodie, shirt, jeans  
 **Chloe:** i can work with that  
 **Max:** Bra, shoes, underwear, socks, your necklace  
 **Chloe:** you suck at this game  
 **Max:** Got a bracelet on too. Oh, my back molar has a filling if that counts  
 **Chloe:** i want to squeeze your cheeks

* * *

**Justin:** max attackkkk, whats good?  
 **Max:** It's ALL good, Justin  
 **Justin:** see man this is why i keep you on tap  
 **Justin:** nothin but the good vibes  
 **Max:** That's what I'm here for!  
 **Justin:** here for what?  
 **Max:** For good vibes!  
 **Justin:** nah but thats cool  
 **Max:** Wtf? On a scale of 1-10, how high are you?  
 **Justin:** the answers -9

* * *

**Max:** Remember that time when we were younger where you bounced so high on the trampoline you farted when you landed?  
 **Chloe:** no  
 **Max:** I do! Oh man, that was so funny. It was like a whoopie cushion fart too.  
 **Max:** FRRRRRRRRRRRRBBBBTTTTT  
 **Chloe:** remember the time you peed your pants because that spider jumped on you  
 **Max:** Sorry homework g2g  
 **Chloe:** I DO YA LITTLE SKANK

* * *

**Max:** Chloe found a Gamecube at a yard sale for $20  
 **Warren:** Woah, that's awesome!  
 **Max:** Uh huh. But now she wants to plant a garden?  
 **Warren:** Pikmin?  
 **Warren:** She knows those are fictitious aliens right?  
 **Max:** She was REALLY high when she went outside.

* * *

**Max:** Prrrrrobably a Hufflepuff?  
 **Chloe:** wtf? no im definitely slytherin dude  
 **Max:** But I just picture a badger with your beanie on and it looks just like you  
 **Chloe:** …  
 **Chloe:** man whatever i hate this game anyway

* * *

**Kate:** Max, is that you playing guitar?  
 **Max:** Oh god, I'm so sorry! I thought I was being quiet.  
 **Kate:** No no it sounds lovely! We should play together sometime!  
 **Max:** I'd love too but I'm really self conscious about my playing  
 **Kate:** Well I think it sounds great. And the offer is always on the table!

* * *

**Chloe:** riddle me this maximus  
 **Max:** I love riddles! Okay, go  
 **Chloe:** why the fuck didnt this bitchass tip me  
 **Max:** This isn't a good riddle  
 **Chloe:** well im sure as fuck not the sphinx

* * *

**Max:** I LOVE YOUUUUUUU!  
 **Dana:** LOVE YOU TOO MAXINE  
 **Victoria:** Love you too, bitch  
 **Warren:** Aw shucks, love you too!  
 **Kate:** Luv U Max :)  
 **Chloe:** hahahahahahaha love you too baby  
 **Max:** I just woke up, super groggy, did not realize this was group chat :X  
 **Chloe:** no emojis kate

* * *

**Max:** Warren says me and him are going to get you into WoW  
 **Chloe:** okay ill shoot a wizardman idgaf  
 **Max:** That's really all the coercion it takes?  
 **Chloe:** yea man i wanna be a dragon  
 **Max:** Well, you can't be a dragon really  
 **Chloe:** gonna. be. a. dragon.

* * *

**Victoria:** Maz I'm hingry, wanna get foof?  
 **Max:** You're getting better at texting with the cast!  
 **Victoria:** lol I know! I refusr to do it lert handed  
 **Max:** Right, lert handed people are just the worst.  
 **Victoria:** Smwrtass

* * *

**Chloe:** hey baby  
 **Chloe:** i know your prolly asleep  
 **Chloe:** just had another time dream, i think  
 **Chloe:** just want to tell you again that you are the best thing thats ever happened to me  
 **Chloe:** dont know how i got so lucky but  
 **Chloe:** i love you, max, more than i could ever explain  
 **Chloe:** :*  
 **Chloe:** yes emoji


	22. Fury

"How bad's this gonna hurt, exactly?" Max asked nervously. Chloe spun around in the revolving stool, tapping her index to her chin.

"Probably just a quick pinch, that's usually how it goes," she said. "Won't be as bad as these guys." She pointed to her chest. "Bras and bleedy nipples don't mix _super_ well." Max scowled at the imagery. The curtain sectioning off the room swung open as a slender girl with dreadlocks appeared. The brunette surveyed the woman's tattoos, hovering on a vibrant, pink jellyfish on the girl's throat.

_She looks so badass. I wish I could rock that look._

"Jennifer!" Chloe greeted, standing up to give the girl a hug. "How's it going?"

"You know, man, just hangin' out." She smiled with half lidded eyes. She focused on Max and nodded. "So who's the cutie?" Chloe grew a small smile and pushed the girl's shoulder.

"That cutie is _mine_ , thanks very much." She stood behind Max and placed a hand on her head. "This is Max, she's getting her nose done."

"Hi," Max greeted sheepishly, holding her hand out for Jennifer to take.

"Jenny," she responded, taking her hand. "Cool, so you ever have any work done before?"

"No..." Max shrugged. "Figure if I'm going to be with her, I might as well look the part!" Chloe rolled her eyes and gently pushed Max's head away.

"Well, nose is a good place to start. You thinkin' like bridge, nostril, septum?" She put on blue latex gloves, pulling the wrist of the second one to give a comical smack.

"Nostril," Max said, fidgeting anxiously. "You'll tell me the truth...how bad is it gonna hurt?"

"Just a quick pinch," she said, as if rehearsed. Max crossed her arms and pouted.

_The grand piercing conspiracy. The GPC._

"Gonna be so sexy," Chloe cooed, bending down to place a kiss in her hair.

"Shakah! Brah! Shakah! Brah!" Max chanted, pumping her fists. Jennifer stood back with an amused expression.

"Down, killer," the punk laughed, ruffling her hair.

"So, we can start with a ring but you can change it after it's healed," Jennifer said as she plopped onto the stool.

"That's cool, that's what I want anyways." She patted her knee. "Um, I know you probably get people that say this fifty times a day but I really like your tattoos."

"Aw, thanks!" She shot across the room on the rolling stool and picked up a cotton swab, dousing it in a solution. "They're addictive, I don't know how Chloe doesn't have more."

"Been thinkin' about it," Chloe replied. "I dunno, might get something else pierced first."

_Chloe with more piercings? Mm...yes, please!_

"Right on, that works too." Jennifer turned to her with a dorky smile. "How did those titty piercings turn out, anyway?" The blue haired girl flushed and covered her face. Rolling her eyes, the piercer turned to Max. "Sorry, guess I should be asking you."

"You did some fine work, Jenny," Max laughed as the woman rubbed the cotton swab on her nose. "I mean it's like," she held her hands up, bending her fingers to a flat angle, "Chloe's boobs and Sistine Chapel, neck and neck."

"That's one hell of a compliment!" Jennifer grinned, rolling backwards to grab the needle and clamp. She regarded Chloe. "I like her."

"She's alright," Chloe agreed, prompting Max to stick her tongue out.

"Alrighty, let's do this." Jennifer rolled toward Max with the needle in her hand. The brunette frantically reached out for Chloe, who took her hand.

_That is fucking huge._

"It'll be over before you know it," Chloe assured with a warm smile.

"I think I'm pretty scared," Max giggled quietly. Jennifer chuckled and situated the clamp.

"You're handling this way better than Chloe did her first time, anyway," she said.

_That sounds like a story I'd love to hear._

"Man, shut up," the punk complained with a pout.

"Alright, take a breath and you're just going to feel a quick pinch." Max's grip tightened on Chloe's hand as she closed her eyes. There was a quick, sharp burn. "Annnnd voila!"

"That's it?" Max asked, opening her eyes.

"Hell yeah, man, veni vidi vici." She scooted back and pulled her gloves off. "Dude, open your goddamn eyes." Max looked to find Chloe gritting her teeth with her eyes clamped shut.

"You had a worse reaction than me!" Max laughed, tugging on the punk's hand. She peeked one eye open and let out a huge sigh.

"I uh, didn't want to see you in pain," she admitted, using her free hand to scratch at her head.

_Too fucking cute._

"How's it look?" Max asked her.

"See for yourself!" Jenny rolled forward with a mirror. She held it out so Max could see the hoop in her nostril.

"Woah!" She laughed excitedly. "I look awesome!" She turned her head left and right with a big grin.

"You look like I'm gonna ravish you in a second," Chloe quipped, jokingly biting her lip.

"Easy, you two," Jennifer chuckled.

_It looks so cool! And it barely hurt at all! I could just get like, a million more! Right now!_

"I could get more! Right now!" She exclaimed, deciding to make her thoughts known.

"That's the adrenaline talking." The piercer handed her a ziploc bag. "Your shampoo and stuff is in here along with care instructions." She leaned back, resting her elbows on the counter behind her. "I miss hanging with you, man," she said to Chloe. "Justin and all the guys still behaving?"

"Behaving is...not the word I'd use?" Chloe laughed as she helped Max to her feet. "But yeah, we had some good times. I, uh..."

"Look," Jennifer interrupted, shaking her head. "I'm really sorry about what happened to Rach. I still can't believe it. And then you get shot? The fuck is wrong with the world?" Max felt Chloe suction into her side.

"Yeah, it's uh...pretty fucked. But I'm doing better now. All healed and everythin'."

"Well, that's good, at least." Jen glanced to the side. "How's Frank holding up?"

"Frank is...doing okay, I think." Chloe grabbed Max's chin and pulled her head forward so she could analyze the piercing. "He's not really selling anymore, so I'm not sure what his plans are for money but...I think he's alright. I saw him not too long ago."

"Fucking wild," she said with a thoughtful frown. It slowly morphed into a smile at Chloe teasing Max. "You two are pretty adorable, you know that? We should hang again. You too, Max. I'd love to hear about what else goes on in the Blackwell world."

_That could be fun!_

"That'd be cool," Chloe said as she smacked Max's butt for good measure, causing the girl to yelp. She gave Jen a ferocious grin. "And I _know_ we're adorable, thanks."

* * *

"You really didn't have to pay for it." Max warmed her hands on the cup of coffee. "I have _some_ money."

"Hey, dude," Chloe said as she chewed on her pastry, "I'm making crazy money at the Two Whales. Just let me be your sugar momma."

" _Pour some sugar on meeeeee_ ," Max sang quietly, wiggling her hips. She glanced around the shop. "Starbucks are so weird. They're like all the same, yet it still feels like they're only authentic in Seattle." She took a sip from her cup. "Is that the most hipster thing I've said today? Probably."

"Definitely," Chloe corrected, reaching across the table and grabbing Max's hand. "How's your nose feel?"

"It's a little sore but I think the badassness of it outweighs the pain." She scrunched her nose and winced. "Oooh man, that's tender."

"It will be for a little while, but we'll make sure to keep it clean and all that. It'll heal in no time." The punk snagged Max's coffee and took a swig. Max smiled at Chloe's continued use of 'we' and how studiously she had read the care instructions when they got into her truck.

_A little more than a month ago, you'd never believe this was the same girl. All of this caring, loving nature has just been hiding under snarkiness and pettiness for five years... And now it's all mine!_

"You're somethin' else, you know that?" Max said, eying her dreamily. Chloe cocked an eyebrow in intrigue.

"Somethin' else good or somethin' else bad?"

"Well, good, duh! I just mean you're amazing." She giggled and puckered her lips.

"Gimme dat," Chloe said playfully, standing and leaning across the table to receive her kiss. "And of course, you're amazing too, I suppose," she said as an afterthought. "JK, you're the best ever. Like, I dunno..." She smiled with her tongue between her teeth. "Like no one ever was."

"Now that's going to be stuck in my head!" Max groaned, slapping her palm on the table. "Dang it."

_Tocatchthemismyrealtesttotrainthemismycause...blaharhahraharh..._

"If you get a new piercing, what will it be?" Max asked after a moment, slipping her foot forward to rub along Chloe's. The blue haired girl looked up in thought.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. There's a couple I've wanted but I was always so strapped for cash that it wasn't practical. I mean, fuck, this thing was a fortune." She held out her arm, twisting it so Max could see her sleeve.

"I never asked what made you get that," she said. "I mean, I think it's totally wicked and sexy, but still."

"Just wanted some ink." The punk shrugged.

"There's got to be more to it than that. Like, what does it _mean_?" She wiggled her fingers. "I mean, blue butterflies..." Chloe's eyes went wide.

"Holy fuck dude, I never even thought about that!" She gripped into her arm as her brow furrowed. "That's...man, this is really fucked up in retrospect." Max giggled and reached for her arm, placing her hand over the punk's.

"I think it's just another link in the chain of our crazy ass destiny." Her fingers threaded into Chloe's.

"Crazy _is_ our thing," Chloe laughed. "I was, admittedly, pretty high when I first thought up my sleeve. Dad always really liked those butterflies. We went to the zoo once, shit, I think you were even with us, and he lost his mind at the butterfly enclosure."

"Wow, I remember that!" Max grinned. "Man, we saw all kinds of crazy shit that day and all he could talk about were those butterflies." She shook her head. "I can't believe I forgot about that."

"Yeah," Chloe smiled. "Goddamn butterfly wings. At any rate, like I said, I was stoned when I first thought it up but then even when I was sober I was kind of feeling it, so I went to to Jenny and had her sketch it out for me. The skull is...well, it's just supposed to be a memento mori thing. Which like I said, in retrospect is a bit iffy."

_Remember that you must die... Hm._

"That is kind of..." Max shivered, then willed it away. "Well, luckily you and I had the upper hand on fate." Chloe leaned forward with her elbows on the table, perching her chin upon her interlocked fingers.

"Right," she said with a smirk. "Fuck time, fuck destiny, you're cool, fuck fate, I'm out." Chloe winked at a man walking by giving a disapproving glare due to language.

_This would make a great shot._

"Hold it there," Max demanded as she sifted through her bag for her camera. The punk's eyes cartwheeled in her head, but she remained still.

"Make me famous," she snarked as the camera clicked.

* * *

"Grahamcracker!" Chloe called as they approached the dorms. Warren stood by Brooke with his hands in his pockets as she flew her drone. He smiled upon seeing them, waving enthusiastically, though she didn't even look up.

"Warren!" Max screeched as she skipped to him. "Notice anything different!?" She held her arms out and posed.

"Oh damn," he said, cringing. "That looks like it hurt."

"Not even kind of," Max responded cockily as Chloe caught up to them. "Hey Brooke! How goes drone flying?"

_I will fly you again some day, little drone._

"It goes well!" The tiny drone moved in circles in the air. "Warren wanted me to look at the top of the Tobanga for some reason, but any excuse to take her around is good with me."

_The Tobanga? What are you up to, Warren?_

Max narrowed her eyes at Warren, who simply nodded in confession.

"Just wanted to see if there was anything interesting up there!" He laughed somewhat shakily. "Like a price tag or something." He looked at Brooke nervously, but she didn't notice.

"Can...can I fly this thing?" Chloe asked, entranced as it whirled through the air. "Can I ride it?"

"No and...no?" Brooke laughed.

"Fair enough, thought I'd give it a try." She wrapped an arm around Max. "So what are you kids up to tonight? Doing anything fun?"

"Homework," Brooke droned.

"Raiding," Warren said.

"Yikes, you guys are too hardcore for me," Chloe laughed. She regarded Max. "Maybe Kate's doing something fun, we can chill with her?"

"That'd be fun!" Max chirped, nestling into the punk. "Damn, it's getting chilly fast. Winter is coming!"

"Niiiice," Warren said with a sleazy grin. "You know nothing, Max Caul-"

" **Please** , get away from me!" Kate screamed, running in a full sprint from the main campus. Behind her were two men, one carrying a microphone and one lugging around a big camera. She saw the four of them and charged their way, immediately ducking behind Chloe as she reached her.

"What's going on?" Max asked, taking a step forward.

"They won't leave me alone!" She cried, clinging to Chloe's jacket. "They keep trying to interview me."

_Oh hell no._

"Hey fuckers, get out of here," Chloe shouted nonchalantly, though the men pressed onward.

"Miss Marsh, if you'll please just answer a few questions! Mark Jefferson is set to begin his trial process shortly and we'd love to hear anything you have to say on the matter." The man gave his best attempt at a smile, but it might as well have been painted on.

"Sorry, I'm not sure you heard me," Chloe grumbled, her voice thorny with anger. "I said get out of here." As if she didn't exist, the man with the microphone dipped around her.

"Miss Marsh, what exactly did Mark Jefferson do to you in his infamous Dark Room?" The cameraman followed his movements, keeping Kate in his sights.

"Hey man, come on." Warren placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Don't touch me, you little brat. I could sue you," he barked, causing Warren to recoil.

"Please, please, leave me alone," Kate whimpered, pressing her face into the punk's back. A strange tension rose around them, as if a thousand bowstrings grew taut simultaneously. Max's blood began to burn like fire. She felt her hands ball into fists.

_I'll fucking kill them._

"Leave her alone," she commanded, pointing at the man with the camera. The sun reflected off his greasy ponytail, giving him a perfectly scummy aura.

"Fuck you," the cameraman spat. "Let us do our job."

_Woah, what? Who the hell are these guys?_

"Ooookay," Chloe laughed disbelievingly. She cracked her knuckles. "Look, you guys get the _fuck_ out of here now or I'm going to shove that microphone down your throat." She took a step toward the anchor as Kate slid behind her.

"That's a threat," the man said, his teeth bared wickedly. "And it's on tape." The crazed look in his eyes reminded Max of a starving coyote.

"Leave her the **FUCK** alone," came a voice. Victoria closed the distance from the dorm landing to the man in a blink of an eye.

"I'm just doing my job," the man said with a vile snicker. He turned to the cameraman. "Can you believe these fucking kids?" The man with the camera merely chuckled in response.

"I said leave her alone," Victoria growled, her fists binding tightly. She stepped up to him, her face very close to his. Out of the corner of her eye, Max saw Brooke catch her drone and spin toward the two men.

"And I said," he began, his voice stuttering messily, "I'm just doing my job, you dumb. Little. Cunt." The man began to laugh, as if realizing what he said was overboard. Max felt a pang of memory of Jefferson acting the same way. "Just let me talk to the girl and-"

A petite fist, clad with several extravagant rings, ricocheted off of the man's nose. He stumbled backward, instinctively smacking a hand to his face. Blood began to ebb from under his hand.

"You fucking bitch," he wailed, clutching his face. He took a step toward her, but Victoria pounced, knocking him off of his feet and to the ground.

"Victoria! Wait!" Kate shrieked. Max gasped, covering her mouth.

She raised her fist, slamming it down two more times, each successfully bashing the man's bleeding nose. The man with the ponytail quickly – but gingerly – set the camera down and lurched toward her. Warren swooped in between them, pushing against the man's chest to stop him. There was a stunned silence as Victoria rolled off of the anchor, breathing heavily and shaking.

_Woah, holy shit, Victoria._

"Wooooooooo!" Chloe cheered, a triumphant grin on her face. "Fuckin' _hell_ yes!" She pranced over to the camera, lifting it off the ground. "Get that all on camera?" She asked the ponytailed man, who was now kneeling by his wounded partner. He simply gawked at her, his brain not registering everything. Chloe held it above her head.

"You'll be arrested, all of you," the bleeding man spat as he sat up. The punk simply rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, heard that one before," she said dryly, spiking the camera onto the pavement, breaking it into two parts. Warren pulled Victoria to her feet, the girl wincing as she moved her hand.

"What in the world is going on here?" David shouted, running toward them. His eyes were wide with concern.

"Security!" The camera-less-man cried. "These kids just attacked us and damaged our property!" He looked at the men, then at the group, his eyes narrowing on the trembling Kate.

"What were you two doing here?" He asked.

_Oh, please, David. Please help us out here._

"We were just trying to get an interview with Miss Marsh here and her hooligan friends attacked us," he coughed through the blood. Both men were now on their feet, the one with the broken nose shaking with rage.

"Hooligan?" Chloe asked sarcastically, an eyebrow raised. David glared disapprovingly, holding his hand up to shush her.

"And did she give you permission?" David's voice was cold and tough.

"No!" Kate screamed. "I asked them to leave me alone so many times!"

"I see," David said. He turned to the bleeding man. "Did you know that Blackwell is private property?"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" The anchor cursed, his teeth soaked with blood. "They _attacked_ us!"

"Well, it sounds like you were harassing Kate here." David motioned to the girl. "As I'm sure you understand, that's a bit of a sore subject around Blackwell these days." He shrugged calmly. "Sounds like self defense to me."

"Unbelievable," the second man said. "The bitch with the blue hair broke my camera!" David's expression swirled into a dark void of rage. He took a hurried step toward the man.

"I don't appreciate the way you're talking," he said, poking the man in the chest. "Like I said, Blackwell is private property. You're trespassing. Miss Marsh told you to leave her alone, kindly, I'm sure, and you followed her. That's stalking. You hurled curses and derogatory terms at these students. Sounds like harassment to me." He looked over the broken camera on the ground, grinding his teeth in anger. "You know, we take issue around here when people misuse their cameras." That particularly seemed to strike a nerve in everyone. He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "Now, unless you have clear evidence that these students attacked you unprovoked," he pointed to the camera, "it seems like you don't have much of a case on your hands. If you _are_ still interested in talking to the police, most of whom I'm friends with, I'll be happy to wait with you in front of the school to make sure you hand over that tape. Unedited. I'm sure there's nothing on there that would implicate you."

_David you are a fucking BADASS._

The two men glanced at each other, both scowling. Finally the bleeding man relented, nodding his head and offering a twisted, crimson stained smile.

"We're good," he said, holding up his hands.

"Now there we go," David said with a smile. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Allow me to escort you two off the premises." David clapped a hand on each of their shoulders, turning quickly to shoot a smile at Chloe. The one man recovered his camera, in pieces, before they were marched away. Everyone stood in shock, slack jawed.

"If I had a dick..." Chloe finally said, shattering the silence, "I would have the biggest fucking justice boner. Nothing could hold me down."

"Well, that's gross," Max laughed, turning to Victoria. "Victoria, Jesus Christ, what _was_ that?" The blonde's eyes were wide, her hands trembling.

"Uh..." She swallowed, glancing around anxiously. "I don't know."

"It was amazing is what it was!" Warren shouted, raising his hands. "That was so badass!"

"That was sick," Brooke agreed, cradling her drone. "What a bunch of assholes."

"Vic!" Kate squeaked, engulfing the girl in a hug. "Thank you so, so much. That was incredible. You're my hero!" She buried her face in Victoria's chest and, maybe Max was just seeing things, but she could swear the girl was blushing.

"Are you okay?" Victoria asked Kate, her voice stumbling.

"I'm great now! I can't believe you did that for me!" Kate pried herself from Victoria and looked around at the rest of the group. "All of you stood up for me! I've never felt so loved before. Thank you so much!"

"Well, we do love you, Kate." Max gave a small smile. She reached beside her to hug Chloe, but the punk was gone, standing next to Victoria.

"Oh man," she muttered with a sour face. She looked at Max knowingly. "Well, I found out what we're doing tonight." She gently grabbed Victoria's wrist, with the girl cringing as she did so, and held up her black and blue hand. "Gotta go to the hospital, I'm pretty sure she broke her hand."

* * *

"Fuckin' gimme," Chloe growled, slamming her palm on the vending machine. She sighed and turned to Max. "Babe, this thing is holding your Doritos hostage."

_Oh no, my white knight has run into an obstacle._

"That's okay," Max quietly laughed. "Thank you anyway." She turned beside her and placed a hand on Kate's back. "You okay?"

"I just feel bad!" Kate whined, clutching some tissues. "She hurt herself because of me!"

"Not because of you," Chloe corrected, taking a seat across from them. "For you. There's a difference, trust me."

"Those guys were serious assholes, man. What the hell." Max stretched her legs out. "What a way to abuse a camera."

"That's going around lately," Kate said quietly, looking down. It was a sad, morbid truth. Between David's surveillance, Kate's video and Jefferson's psychotic passion project, cameras were doing a good job of gaining a negative reputation. Max even felt herself become somewhat intimidated by the camera that sat in her bag.

_No, Chloe helped me remember that cameras aren't the ones at fault. It's the people behind them._

"I just..." Kate began, shaking her head. "Why? Why is it so fascinating to capture other people's suffering?" Max reached beside her and grabbed Kate's hand, issuing a slight squeeze. "The Native Americans thought cameras could steal your soul...I'm not sure that they were wrong."

"Don't let people ruin it for you, Kate," Max whispered. "I use a camera. So...so does Victoria. We're not bad people. We try to find the beauty in the world. Those guys are just..." She furrowed her brow, searching for an appropriate adjective. "They're just fucking evil. A gun or a sword or...a camera. That's just the weapon they chose." Kate seemed to think it over, her grip on Max's hand tightening.

"She kicked his ass, man!" Chloe added giddily, rubbing her hands together. "I was totally going to do it but, dude, seeing Victoria fucking Chase get her hands dirty was quite a treat."

"I don't like violence." Kate frowned. "I wish it didn't have to come to that."

"Hey guys," a tiny voice said. Max looked up to see Victoria standing in the doorway with a splint on her hand. She still looked somewhat shell shocked.

"Vic! What happened? Are you okay?" Kate asked as she sprung to her feet.

"Fractured my hand?" She posed it more as a question. "Gonna have to wear this for a little while." A ditzy smile appeared on her face. "But I got painkillers, so right now I'm feelin' pretty okay."

"Those things are dope," Chloe said, getting to her feet. "They made me really affectionate though. I was constantly thinking about jumping Max's bones." The brunette opened her mouth in shock, then laughed, pushing Chloe's shoulder.

"Victoria, I'm so sorry." Kate hugged her tightly. "You got hurt for me."

"That's okay," Victoria chuckled quietly. "I'd do anythin' for ya." Her face immediately turned red, but Kate didn't seem to notice. Chloe raised her eyebrows, curious.

"Hey," Chloe whispered into Max's ear, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Have you noticed anything, I dunno... _super fuckin' gay_ about Victoria lately?"

"Huh?" The brunette asked. She thought for a moment. "You don't think..."

"I fuckin' think," Chloe responded with a grin. "This is too good." Max surveyed the two blondes.

_No way...but then again, it kind of makes sense? Maybe those pills do bring out the affectionate side..._

"I hope this doesn't become a big deal," Victoria pouted, relishing Kate's hug a moment longer. "Really not what I want to deal with."

"Too late for that," Max said. "You know how Blackwell works. I'm sure Principal Wells is waiting at the door to canonize you."

"Aaaand," Chloe added eagerly, "Brooke's drone was recording the whole thing! Not that we'll show it around, but it'll be good for a laugh later."

"Fucking great," Victoria spat. She turned to Chloe. "Hey, it's totally cool if you don't want to but...could you give me a ride to pick up my prescription? It's codeine." She laughed. "I'll even share."

"Of course I'll give you a ride!" Chloe slapped her on the shoulder. "But maybe so it isn't as cramped as it was on the way here, Kate could sit on your lap? Gotta give your hand some room to breathe." The punk turned to Max, unleashing a conniving, extravagant grin. Victoria turned dark red once more.

_You are terrible! Buuuuuut my interest keeps me from intervening._

"That's okay with me," Kate said coolly, if a little oblivious. "Maybe on the way back we can get ice cream?"

"I feel like a soccer mom," Chloe complained, looping her arm with Max's. "Cartin' all my kids around."

"Ice cream sounds fucking immaculate right now," Victoria added.

"Aw," Max chuckled. She kissed Chloe on the cheek. "Let's take the kids to get ice cream, dear."

_Gonna get orange cream or...pistachio...or...double chocolate!_

"Yes, darling," Chloe purred, rubbing her nose on Max's cheek. Victoria squinted for a moment, blinking slowly.

"Hey nerd," she said, pointing her splinted hand at Max. "You got your nose pierced. It looks nice."

"Thanks!" Max beamed, tilting her head to and fro.

"For a while I was thinking about getting my vulva pierced, like just for the hell of it," Victoria said nonchalantly. She stopped and looked around, narrowing her eyes. "I don't think I was supposed to say that out loud?" Chloe began to howl in laughter, palming the girl's pixie cut. Max began to laugh as well, though Kate merely blushed.

"Don't worry, man, I've thought the same thing!" Chloe admitted. "But at the end of the day, it sounds super goddamn scary. As badass as it is, I don't want anything sharp down there." She slowly rolled her head toward Max, who by this point was good at bracing herself for when Chloe said something a little _much_. "Except for Max's tongue, that is."

_And there it is._

"This is not soccer mom conversation," Max jokingly scolded. "I want to talk about ice cream. What kind you going to get Kate?"

"Uh," Kate giggled, covering her mouth, "I know it just completes the stereotype, but I kind of just like vanilla." Chloe puckered her lips and shook her head, trying to hide her laughter.

"Maybe," the punk said with a shit eating grin, "if you just _experimented_ with other flavors, you'd find that you prefer them?" Max's eyes went wide as she let out a sharp 'ha!'

After Victoria signed out at the desk, the four of them wandered outside, sort of lazily listing to the left and right, bullshitting and laughing. Max's phone began to ring.

"It's Warren," she said to the group. She put it on speakerphone. "Hey dude."

"Hey," he said. "How's Victoria?"

"Oh god!" Chloe screamed in a panicked tone. "Everyone's dead! There's blood everywhere!" The other two girls tried to hide their laughter.

"Speakerphone, cool," he said sarcastically.

"I'm okay, Warren," Victoria's voice was soft. "Broke my hand, but overall okay. Thanks...thank you for asking."

"Damn, that sucks." There was a small pause. "Me and Brooke watched it again on her tablet, like what the drone caught. You really fucking smashed that guy." He laughed a little. "Gonna have to stitch an S to your chest now."

"So much fucking blood, I'm gonna puke!" Chloe shouted, whirling in circles. "Limbs everywhere! It's like a Black Sabbath concert!"

"No S's, please," Victoria begged, her eyes following the spinning punk. "I just want to get past this."

"Yeeeeah," he elongated it nervously, "about that. It's all over the school already."

"Dammit," she spat, closing her eyes. "Now people are going to think I'm nice."

"Wow, what a tragedy," Max quipped, giggling. The blonde simply groaned in response.

"Now it's raining exploding baby hands!" Chloe fell to her knees, committing to the act. "Oh for the love of god, won't someone think of the babies!" Kate waddled over to her and sympathetically pet her head.

"It'll be okay," she assured, nodding.

"Today is the weirdest," Max commented, watching Kate and Chloe. Victoria nodded her head slowly.


	23. Study Hall

Victoria huffed in exasperation as the pen fell from her grasp. She stared at it, as if her gaze could will it to burst into flames.

"I don't know why you keep trying to write with that hand," Max laughed. She turned the page of the book in front of her, her eyes bulging at the new display of information. "I'm never going to learn this in time for the test."

"Left handed people are evil," Victoria said matter-of-factly.

"That's actually a thing," Kate giggled, sitting down and completing the small circle. "The bible says that." She plopped her book in front of her, leaning over to check what page Max was on. "I'm not sure I agree with that, of course."

It had been a few days since Victoria's valiant defense of Kate and Blackwell had been feasting on the details. Max assumed it was partially because, though it had been more than a month, the Jefferson/Rachel/Nathan debacle still hung over the school like a storm cloud and everyone, including staff, was chomping at the bit to find a new, positive event to cling to. That didn't make it any easier for Victoria, however. She seemed to genuinely loathe the attention, not even secretly cherishing it while putting up a front. For someone who was always so concerned with being the 'hot topic' at school, Max found that odd. Now, Max, Kate and Victoria sat in Max's room, studying for an upcoming test.

"Where's your gal pal, anyways?" Victoria asked, laying down on her side. "I don't think I've seen you two apart since you first hooked up." Max couldn't help but grin at that.

"She said something about 'letting me have girl time' and then she just kinda laughed condescendingly," she said, thumbing back a page to check her information. "I think she picked up an extra shift at work, too."

"Oooh," Victoria smirked. "We should totally go and harass her after our study hall."

"Mmn, maybe," Max said. "Kate, how do you think you're going to do on this test?" The small blonde puckered her lips and thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure, it's a lot of info for one section. Usually I just pray and God gives me the answers!" She began to laugh, but cut it short when the other girls didn't. She cleared her throat. "Sorry," she said in a small voice. "I'm trying to include more levity with my faith."

"Then pray, girl. Pray like the fuckin' wind," Victoria giggled. She sighed and rolled on to her back. "These pills are crazy good but I'm almost out. Then it's over the counter bullshit." She blew air through her lips. "Can't believe I broke my hand." Kate grimaced.

"Sorry," she said quietly. Victoria snapped her head up, glaring at the girl.

"I told you to stop being sorry!" She held out her splinted hand and shook it vigorously. "It was worth it, I'm just being dramatic." Max smiled when she saw the little smiley face Kate had drawn on it – the only signing Victoria had allowed.

_There's definitely a story brewing here...man, this might be the craziest thing in a long list of insanity._

"What did your folks have to say about it all?" Max asked, shifting her legs beneath her. "I imagine there's cause for alarm when the princess heir to the Chase family suffers injury."

"Ha!" Victoria spat, holding her left hand up and spreading her fingers. "I dunno, they were worried, I guess. It's hard to get them to pull their heads out of their asses for the most part. Like," she popped her lips, "I'm not even going home for Thanksgiving because they're both so invested in the Chase Space at the moment. I doubt they'll even have dinner together." She looked at Max. "That's kind of sad, right?"

"I guess some people just have different priorities," Max responded, shrugging.

"Yeah..." She said thoughtfully. "What about you guys, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"Having it with Chloe and her family!" Max beamed. "My mom was kind of bummed, but she's also embarrassingly into the idea that we're dating, so she understands. I kind of felt bad, but I know she'll cook a big dinner for my dad anyway."

_I'll miss her cooking but...I'm SO excited to spend my first 'family' holiday with Chloe. And Joyce's food. Yummers._

"I'm having it with my family," Kate added, furiously swiping a highlighter over a specific line in the book. She regarded Victoria. "You could have Thanksgiving with me! We're not too far away. It would be fun! And they're already very big fans of yours." She winked as she pointed to her hand.

_Oh snap._

"Oh, I uh...I don't know, Kate." Victoria furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure your family will like me. I'm not really big into..." She cut herself off. "I don't practice religion. So I don't know if that'll fly, you know?" Kate stared at her, her big brown eyes absorbing the light in the room.

"Meh," she shrugged, "screw 'em!" Max and Victoria exchanged a look of shock before both burst into laughter.

"Kate Marsh!" Max laughed incredulously. "I cannot believe you just said that!"

"The mouth on this one!" Victoria added with a grin.

"I just wanted to see your reactions," Kate admitted with a small smile. "But really, they'll like you just fine. If they say anything at all, they'll have to answer to me!" She shook her fist and crinkled her brow.

"Hell hath no fury like a Kate Marsh scorned, I guess," Max snickered, reaching for her phone. She tapped on Chloe's picture to view the new messages.

**Chloe:** have fun at study camp nerd

**Chloe:** make sure u play those educational they might be giants albums to really set the tone

"This girl is such a bitch, I swear to you," Max scoffed, then smiled. "Love her so much though."

"Oh wow," Victoria said, her interest piqued. "You guys are saying 'love' and everything?" Kate slowly turned her head toward Max.

"Uh, yeah. Why?" She gently flipped her phone in her hand, shrinking a little under their gaze.

"I don't know, that just seems soon. But...I'm happy for you. Really." Victoria awkwardly stressed 'really,' as though making it a point to _prove_ she was sincere.

_I guess that's true...to everyone else, we've just been dating for a little while. But they don't know the truth._

"What's love feel like?" Kate asked suddenly and bashfully, slowly bouncing her index fingers together. "Romantic love, I mean."

"Oh, wow, uh..." Max contorted in confusion. "I don't know, it's just really nice. Warm. Like you're always wearing a coat that makes you perfectly comfortable. Or just like, every song you hear or movie you see reminds you of them in some way, no matter what it's really about. Colors seem a little brighter?" She cringed, then snickered. "Dang, I sound high as balls. What do you think, Vic?"

"Wouldn't know," she said flatly, angling her textbook on her chest. "Never felt it."

"But you've been in many relationships!" Kate prodded innocently. Victoria returned a somber smile.

"Just because you're like...with someone doesn't mean you're really feeling love," she said. "I don't think I've ever loved and I sure as hell know no one's ever felt it about me. Sometimes you just like to...pretend, I guess." She turned back to the book as Kate pouted.

_What the hell since when am I the guru on a subject like this?_

"I can actually hear The Smiths playing," Max said, trying to lighten the mood.

"And heaven knows I'm miserable now," the girl quipped back. It was silent for a moment.

"I know someone will fall in love with you, Vic. I'm sure of it!" Kate leaned forward and patted her leg comfortingly.

"Thanks, Kate. That means a lot..." She flipped the book flat on her stomach and grimaced. "I have not retained a single bit of information. We suck as study partners."

"Well, that's because this is secretly therapy," Max laughed. "It's like Punk'd but instead of a prank, you face your inner demons. At only a hundred bucks an hour, might I add."

"What a steal!" Kate pumped her fist jovially. "I'm gonna come to you instead of my current doctor."

"How's that...going, by the way?" Max asked, pulling a pillow from her bed and hugging it. "Feel like it's working?"

"Yeah, it helps a lot to be able to talk to someone," she said. "And the medication I'm on doesn't hurt, of course." She reached into her small purse and pulled out a translucent, orange bottle, giving it a proper shake. "Happiness in a bottle!"

"What kind is it?" Victoria asked, shifting to her side.

"Mmn, Zoloft," she said. "It's an SSRI or something," she added with a shrug.

"Cool, same," Victoria replied. "I used to take Lexapro but it made me grind my teeth. I had to wear a rubber mouth guard." She snirked. "Looked like such a dork." She stuck her index finger and thumb into her mouth. "Talf li'e a morof too." The girls all laughed.

_Vulnerable Victoria is really something amazing. She's so fun to be around. Maybe this is what Taylor always sees?_

"I didn't know you were on antidepressants," Kate said.

"Yeah, it's kind of just whatever...part of my life now. I feel like everyone here is fucked up in one way or another. It is art school, after all." She patted her stomach. "It's like, all the rage."

"I've been thinking about going to a therapist," Max added quietly. "Just to, you know, talk some things out." She chewed her lip in thought. "What does that say about us? That we all need therapy?"

"I think it just says that we're addressing our shit," Victoria said. "I dunno, maybe it's because my parents indoctrinated me into it when I was young enough to not question it, but it just kind of makes sense to me. We get physical check ups every year, why wouldn't we do it with our mind? I just, uh..." She quickly glanced at Kate. "I take it pretty seriously."

_Right. Nathan._

"That's a very good way of looking at it," Kate cheered. "I think it's perfectly natural...I mean, there's some reservations about it from my family. But I'm slowly learning that not everything the bible says is worth its weight in gold."

"Yeah, I dunno," Max mused. "At the very least, maybe try and figure out this _fucking_ ," she rigorously shook her book, "concentration issue!" She began to laugh. "I've always had trouble focusing on things. Needed like an extra ten minutes in grade school to do tests."

"I could just _give_ you Adderall," Victoria said. "Shit is beautiful, it's like being in a bouncy house of ideas."

_Hmmm..._

"Maybe I'll take you up on that," the brunette responded. "But still, I might go to the school counselor and see what she has to say. About anxiety and all that."

"She's a lovely woman," Kate added. "She's very good at not making your problems seem small, which I really appreciate!" She suddenly sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I forget everything I just read."

"You guys have been _reading_!?" Max snarked. "This whole time!?"

"Yeah, dude." Victoria threw her book to the side. "Fuck this. Let's go annoy your girlfriend."

* * *

The three girls, huddled together in the brisk air, watched as the school bus drove off. The November weather was slowly but surely injecting the cold, stealing away the comfort from the uncharacteristically warm October. To combat this, Max had begun wearing Chloe's beanie whenever she had left it in her room. Not only did it make her think of Chloe and provide a way of 'showing off' their relationship, but now it actually functioned the way it was meant to!

"Gettin' too cold for my bones," Victoria complained, tugging the collar of her expensive jacket with one hand. "I like the tropics. The beach."

"I kind of like the colder months," Kate said, looking up into the gray sky. "I think they're pretty."

"Pretty _bullshit_ ," Victoria whipped back, smiling playfully. Max stared through the window of the Two Whales, watching as Chloe smiled and nodded at a customer. Her heart swelled at the sight of her.

"Man, I don't remember the last time I ate here." Victoria briefly tapped a finger to her chin.

"Probably used to much fancier places, huh?" Kate asked.

"Guys, shut up, I wanna go hug my girlfriend!" Max pouted facetiously, stomping her foot and pointing at the building.

"Wow. Okay, brat, lead on," Victoria mocked.

They shuffled into the diner, Max leading the way to 'her' booth where she always sat with Chloe. She sat alone on one side as Kate scooted in next to Victoria.

"Man," she heard Chloe say loudly from the kitchen. "This jukebox sucks a righteous one, Pete. Can't we get some good tunes for it? I've spent all my quarters keeping Don't Fear the Reaper on loop and I'm starting to hear the guitar riff in my sleep." There was an inaudible grumble in response. "Yeah, I know you're super into Toby Keith. You should just cut the shit and get his face tattooed on your chest." There was another more playful grumble. "Yeah, totally, I know a girl, I'll give you her number," she laughed. After a moment, Chloe came through the doorway, stopping when she saw the three girls. She gasped and grew a brilliant smile.

"Baby!" She squeaked, galloping over to the booth and sliding in next to Max, constricting her tightly in a hug. "How is?" She asked, nuzzling into the brunette's cheek.

"I'm kay," she responded, returning the cuddle. "Many hungry, though. And miss," she said with a smile, booping the punk's nose.

"Is...is this English?" Kate asked Victoria with an eyebrow arched. The girl simply shrugged in response, dumbstruck. Max felt herself blush.

_Oh god, we sound like drunk toddlers._

"Hey kids," Chloe greeted, flinging a hand downward to tangle with Max's. "How did studying go?"

"What studying?" Victoria asked. "We didn't study shit."

"It was rather unproductive," Kate agreed, reaching across the table for a sugar packet. "Though we did get some good emo talk going."

"Damn, that's my specialty," Chloe laughed. "Shoulda been there." She turned toward Max. "You gonna be okay on your test, babe? I know you're worrying about it and if these," she dismissively waved at the two girls across from her, "clowns can't help you, I could try tomorrow if you want." Max unleashed a toothy grin, craning her neck to kiss the punk on the forehead. Chloe had been, surprisingly, pretty supportive and at times strict when it came to Max and school.

"Sure, we could give it a try, but it's not their fault. I was the one derailing the conversation." She winked at Victoria.

"Figures," Chloe sighed. "I had to fall for the bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks. My little Molly Ringwald heart just can't take your rebellious nature." She suddenly perked up. "Oh, fuck. I forgot I was working." She scrambled to the counter and retrieved three menus. "Here's your shit," she said, flopping them on the table as she reclaimed her seat.

"Been busy today?" Kate asked as she opened the menu.

"Eh, not busy but not slow," the punk responded, absentmindedly pulling on the drawstring to Max's hoodie. "Dana and Trevor came in earlier, so that was entertaining at least." She leaned out from the booth, surveying an eating woman across the diner. "By the by, she's still really hammering that double date thing so I guess we should do that soon."

"Well, what should we do?" Max asked, spinning her menu on the table. Kate leaned toward Victoria and smiled, pointing at something in the menu.

"Not sure. Movies or something..." She quickly sprung from her seat, darting over to the woman.

"Are the burgers here any good?" Victoria asked, scanning the menu.

"Best in Arcadia Bay," Max responded in her best trucker accent. Kate at least had the generosity to fake a giggle.

"I'll get that, then. I want a fat, hunk of meat."

"That sounded pretty promiscuous," Kate said with a smile. "I would specify cow when you order." Victoria turned to Max with the most neutral expression.

"This bitch," she said flatly. "All the sudden she has jokes."

_Yeah, well, you busted your hand for that, Vic._

"Kay, dorks," Chloe declared, reappearing. "You guys know what you're getting?"

"Grilled cheese, please." Kate flashed a bright smile.

"Erm...can I just get chicken tenders? With buffalo sauce?" Max asked, batting her lashes.

"Half pound cheeseburger, medium, extra side of pickles aaaaaand," Victoria puffed out her lips, "eh, fuck it, coat my fries in cheese." She looked around at the rest of the group. "What? I'm hungry and I want to be fat, stop."

"Alrighty then." Chloe rolled her eyes. "And I'll grab some drinks for you guys, too." She seemed to zone out for a second, chewing her bottom lip. Her head suddenly seized in alert. "Woah, I just had a weird 'how the fuck did I end up here' moment." She glanced around the Two Whales, sighing. "I blame you, Max. I really do."

"You know, I'm okay with that," Max laughed, reaching for her necklace. "I'll take that bullet."

* * *

"Aaaaand I am officially off!" Chloe squealed in delight as she yanked her apron off. Kate clapped quietly in congratulations. The punk quickly scooped up the empty plates and scurried to the kitchen. She reappeared with her hands in the air, showing everyone that her work was officially done.

"You know, it gets me so hot to see you all work-y," Max teased. Victoria offered a small barf noise.

"Don't even play," Chloe said. "I'll ride that train so hard, just wear my apron every time we hang out. It's basically the American equivalent of the French maid thing."

"French maid thing?" Kate asked. Chloe turned to her, her lips clamped shut tightly.

"Don't ask," Victoria said, allowing the punk to relax. Max's phone skittered across the table as it vibrated.

**Dana:** DOUBLE DATE 2MORROW NITE

**Dana:** MEET AT FOOTBALL FIELD

_The football field?_

"Huh," Max said. "Apparently our double date with Dana and Trevor is tomorrow night...they said meet at the football field? For what?"

"Ooooh!" Chloe clapped her hands together. "This will be a _fun_ double date. She means the bleachers. That's a pretty big smo..." She slowly turned to Kate, her voice screeching to a halt. "S'mores spot. We make s'mores there." Kate narrowed her eyes in amusement.

"Well, that sure sounds fun. Can I come along?" She only let the question linger for a moment, but it was enough time for both Max and Chloe to squirm. "I'm only joking! I know that you guys smoke marijuana. It's okay."

"Don't you mean the devil's lettuce?" Victoria asked with a smarmy smile.

"More like 4/20 praise it," Kate replied, pumping her hands in a 'raise the roof' fashion, dissolving into a giggle near the end. "I don't even know if that makes sense," she admitted with a smile.

"Man, Max," Chloe said, sliding in next to her. "We have a double date two days in a row! Aren't we the busy couple?" Max watched as Victoria's face scrunched in disapproval.

_Oh yes, keep stoking that fire, babe._

"Well, if we're being technical, you were working, so this was pretty much just a normal date with me as the third wheel," Max added.

"Tricycles are so fun though!" Kate exclaimed. "I used to have this big red one when I was little. Had little streamers coming out of the handle and everything." She turned to Victoria, who was stewing in a scarlet shade. "This was a fun date, Vic! Thank you!" Chloe's mouth formed into an awe-inspired open smile as she rested a hand over her heart.

_Kate, I can't figure out if you're in on the joke and just cruel or wonderfully oblivious._

"Whatever, you're welcome, shut up," Victoria scowled. Outside, the school bus pulled up for its last rotation of the night. She sighed a breath of relief. "Kate and I will just hitch back on the bus so you can ride with your bitch." She flipped a hand at Chloe, who simply smiled and responded with 'that's me!'

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Kate stood from the booth and shook each of her legs. Victoria quickly followed after her.

"Uh, here's tip," she said, throwing a ten dollar bill in front of Chloe. The punk frowned.

"I don't want this." She scooped it up and held it back out for the girl. "You guys are friends, I don't expect a tip." Victoria furrowed her brow, clearly having some sort of internal war. Finally, she sighed and took it back.

"Thanks," she said. "I had a lot of fun today, Max. Just kind of hiding from all the attention."

"Agreed!" Kate added. "Even though we are bad study partners...We can try again!"

"I had fun too, you guys. And good chat about mental stuff, I think I'll go to the counselor tomorrow." At this, Chloe perked an eyebrow.

Kate and Victoria exchanged their goodbyes, with Victoria even giving Max and Chloe a hug. After a moment of silence watching the bus pull away, Chloe bounced up from the booth and headed into the back. Max looked through the window, staring at the lighthouse.

_Et in Arcadia ego... Even in Arcadia, there am I. You can never escape the lighthouse._

"Before we go," Chloe said, appearing from the back with one arm in her jacket while the other side flopped in the air, "I'm gonna leave a present for Pete." She shoved a hand in her front pocket and shambled over to the jukebox. Meticulously, she slid twenty-five quarters into the slot, then hammered on the button for a minute. The guitar riff for Don't Fear the Reaper began to seep from the ceiling, with the punk giving a triumphant grin.

"Oh for crying out loud, Chloe!" A voice called from the back. Laughing, Chloe scrambled over to Max and tugged on her arm, pulling the girl hurriedly outside.

* * *

"So, uh...you mentioned something about the Blackwell counselor in there?" Chloe asked as the truck lurched out of the parking lot.

"Yeah..." Max glanced out the window. "I mean, obviously I can't really talk about the _why_ 's but I can at least bring up the anxiety and stuff." She scrunched her lips. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"I think you should do whatever you need to," Chloe responded, glancing at the radio as her fingers danced along the buttons. "Whatever helps you, babe."

"I'm hopin'," Max said. "I mean, on one hand I don't really want any of this to get into my record, but on the other...I hate being so nervous. At the very least, I figure I'd talk about my focus issues. ADHD or whatever. Now that you're nagging me about being good at school, feel like I should address it."

"Huh," Chloe said. "I didn't know you had problems with attention span."

"Sorry, what?" Max asked, turning to her. "Kidding, sorry," she said, laughing at Chloe's pout. "Yeah, I've always had trouble concentrating in school." She giggled. "I mean, yeah, I'll play WoW for eight hours straight but put me in a classroom and my focus goes to shit."

"Kinda funny that you're a photographer, then." She smiled as the radio finally offered a song she liked. "I mean, isn't eighty percent of what you do focusing?"

"Never thought of that," Max said. "I guess that's true..." She felt beside her and pat her bag.

"Oh dude, fucking sick!" Chloe gripped the knob on the radio, cranking the volume way up as a new song came on. "Love this song!" She shouted. Max smiled, sneaking her camera out of her bag.

_Feels like all I do is take pictures of Chloe these days...and I'm totally fine with that._

"Hey!" Max shouted. "Gimme that sexy smile!" Chloe quickly turned to face Max, tilting her head back in feigned disgust when she saw the camera.

"Can't keep your eyes off me, can you?" She yelled back, returning her gaze to the road. She gained a patented, Chloe Price smirk. "Here you go," she said, stretching her arm toward Max with a middle finger raised.

"Is that an invitation?" Max asked, snapping the photo.

"Such a damn brat," Chloe laughed, shaking her head.


	24. Grounded

"I think I'd just rather take the F, honestly. Like, how bad could it really hurt my grade?" Courtney fell back onto the lockers, crossing her arms with a look of annoyance. "Who even made Stat? Whose bright idea was that!?"

"I think it's just a naturally occurring thing," Max said, closing her locker. "Statistics exist in nature, we're just studying it." Courtney tilted her head back, offering a look of disgust. "Hey, I agree with you, math sucks, just offering perspective."

"Well," Courtney said, tapping her heel on the ground, "I want it to die in a fire. A chemical fire. I keep trying to get someone to tutor me but no one will answer!" She thought for a moment, a small smile creeping on her face. "How's Warren at math?"

"Oh, he's pretty much a genius at school. Like 4.0 for days." She narrowed her eyes. "Wait. No, Courtney."

"You never let me have any fun!" She pouted. "Fine," she huffed, "I'll just fail forever and be stuck in some weird Blackwell time loop. I'll be eighty-three taking classes, hitting on all the cute boys. Maybe they'll help me cross the street."

"You're ridiculous," Max laughed, leaning her shoulder against the locker. "Fine, I'll run the idea by him, but he's a busy guy so don't be surprised if he doesn't have the time." Courtney smirked and looped a finger in the collar of her shirt, tugging it downward to expose some of her chest.

"Oh, I can be persuasive," she said, cocking an eyebrow. Max reached over and lightly slapped her on the top of the head. "Ow!" She winced and slowly rubbed her head. "Fine, fine, I'll behave. Stop smiting me." Courtney glanced at her phone and scowled. "Ew, time for next class. I'll catch you later, Max." She took a reluctant, deep breath, then bounded down the hall.

_It's still weird that Courtney comes up to ME to start friendly conversation. Man, some things are just hard to get used to._

Max suddenly felt two arms drape over her shoulders from behind, along with a head clonking onto her shoulder. Craning her neck, all she could see was a beanie and shaggy brown hair exploding from beneath it. She smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Trevor."

"Maaaax," he said, his voice light and airy. "What it is?"

"It's good, dude." She reached a hand to her shoulder and gently patted his head. "Your legs not workin'?"

"What even are legs, right?" He asked, removing his head from her shoulder and straightening his posture. "Weird bottom arms." He seemed to realize the ridiculousness of his statement and grinned. "Welp, that hit me quicker than I thought it would. Anyway, you and Chloe coming to this double date thing tonight?"

"We are," Max laughed, finally turning to face him.

"Rad. Dana's really excited about it. You know how she gets." He looked down the hall and smiled. "Yo, I'm gonna go get a surprise piggyback ride from Justin. Laters, dude, see you tonight." He put a finger to his lips, signaling Max to be quiet, and began creeping down the hall. She watched with a smile as he picked up speed, finally launching himself into the air and onto Justin's back. As expected, they both tumbled to the ground, with Trevor bursting into laughter. She shook her head, then turned, her eyes traveling up the flight of stairs. She worked her lip between her teeth in thought.

_I guess I might as well get this over with._

* * *

Max slowly scanned the room, analyzing the paintings that hung on the walls of the office. They seemed to range between 'sunny meadow full of wildflowers' to 'sullen family crying over a...watermelon?' She squinted, leering closer.

_What the hell is that?_

"So, Max," the woman said, pulling the girl's attention back to the present. "What brings you here today?"

"Oh, uh, I kind of got some encouragement from friends to come here. Just to mention that I have some problems with anxiety and...focusing I guess." She frowned as the woman began to scribble on her notepad.

"I see," she said, looking back up at Max. "Have there been any external reasons for your increase in anxiety lately?"

_Yeah. I can rearrange the fabric of reality. I saw countless people die, sometimes more than once. The artist I idolized drugged me and strapped me to a chair while he took fucked up photos. And now I get nosebleeds anytime the wind hits me the wrong way. So, yeah._

"Not really," Max said, rubbing her hand on her thigh. "Just the usual, I guess."

"When do you most feel anxious?" The counselor bent forward, resting her chin on her fist.

"Um, I'm not very good with crowded rooms. Or just talking to people...I guess I'm getting a little better at it, but it's still uncomfortable." She scowled as she listened to herself talk.

_This was such a bad idea. I can't be specific enough to actually get help. Great job, Max._

"Well," the woman said, tapping her pen on the desk, "anxiety is very common, there's no need to feel ashamed." She pulled the notepad closer to her and rested the tip of her pen on it. "Have you ever experienced panic attacks?"

"Yes, actually," Max said. "I mean, I think so."

"Could you describe them?"

"Uh, sure..." She closed her eyes. "Mostly it just feels like I'm being crushed. Or like my chest is. It's really hard to breathe. I get lightheaded and kind of clammy, like I'm going to throw up."

"Go on," the counselor insisted.

"Um, I dunno." Max waved her hands around. "It just feels like death is...coming?" She felt a chill rush through her spine, perhaps touching too close to a nerve. "Like, from that Vergil poem, you know? Death twitches my ear..." She took a deep breath. "I don't know," she said. "Just feels like the end of the world."

"That sounds pretty severe, Max." The woman looked down the bridge of her nose, over the lenses of her glasses. She gave Max a reassuring, small smile, then wrote some more notes.

"Yeah, I guess it is," she said quietly.

"Well," the counselor said, "unfortunately I can't prescribe you any medication, but I _do_ think you need it if it's as bad as you say. You should look into seeing a doctor." She slowly removed her glasses, setting them on the desk. "What I can offer you is a coping technique. It's called grounding...would you like to give it a try?"

"Uh, sure," Max said, feeling a familiar tightness in her throat.

"So grounding," the woman said, spreading out sheets of paper in front of her, "is just a thought exercise to help keep you in the present."

"The present..." Max repeated.

"It's quite easy to do once you think about it," she said encouragingly. "What you need to do is find something to focus on. Latch onto. Keep yourself tethered to the here and now. You know," she said with a smile, waving her hand, "ground yourself." She let out a chuckle. "It's really just a fancy way of saying distract yourself."

_Like Chloe and Warren did the night of the storm... Okay, maybe there's something here._

"What's wonderful about this," the woman said, "is that there's practically an infinite number of ways to do it. You get to pick which is most helpful for you. For instance," she began to write on a blank piece of paper, "you can jot down vague questions that have particular interests for you. Something simple and generic, but enough to make you think." She glanced up at Max with a smile. "You're a budding photography master, right? So think of this..." She held the paper up, revealing the question 'what are your five favorite things to photograph during each season?'

"That's tough," Max said, tapping her fingers on the bottom of her chair. "I don't know, I guess with fall, I really like Halloween, so seeing all the different spooky decorations can provide some really good shots." She scrunched her lips in thought. "Of course, the leaves are beautiful, at least on the trees around here that actually change." She suddenly stopped and looked at the woman. "Oh," she said with a smile. "That's clever."

"It is clever!" The counselor exclaimed. "It's very effective for many people. You could do anything, really. Say you're in the car, not driving but in the passenger's seat. You could count the lines in the road, or the billboards if you're on the highway." She held her arms out. "Anything to distract yourself from the anxiety." She pulled open a drawer in her desk and searched around, pulling out a new stack of index cards. She held them out for Max. "Here," she said, "make flash cards of questions and carry some in your purse. If it feels like it's getting bad, take one out and try to answer it."

"Thanks," she said, taking the cards. "This is kind of cool."

"It is," the woman responded. "Now, if you want to talk about your focus issues... I see in your file here that you're an IEP kid?"

"Sorry, what?" Max asked, giggling. The woman narrowed her eyes, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Ah, sorry," she said, scrunching her nose. "You probably hear that joke a lot, huh?"

"All the time," she responded, finally letting go of a chuckle.

* * *

"So basically," Max mumbled as she chewed her sandwich, "I just gotta come up with weird questions for these index cards." Chloe sat across from her on the carpet of her room, her legs crossed beneath her. She held a hand out, with Max instantly handing her a napkin. "It's called grounding or something," she said after she swallowed.

"Yeah," Chloe said, "I do that. Rachel told me about it one time when I was freaking."

"Really?" Max asked. "What do you do?"

"Eh, I dunno, different stuff," she replied, shrugging. "I used to keep a pebble in my pocket and I'd just feel it and try to describe to myself how it felt. I even drew a little face on it." She glanced to the side in thought. "It was cute. I miss that pebble. Kinda...threw it at the junkyard once and never found it." She set her paper plate down in front of her, twisting her arms behind her to stretch. "My new one is, uh, a little embarrassing."

"What is it?" She asked. "Seriously, taking all suggestions."

"Well, unless you keep a compact on you, I don't think you can do it," she lightly laughed. "I uh, count your freckles."

"What!?" Max shrieked, her face turning pink. She clapped her hands to her cheeks. "No way, my freckles are weird."

_Nooooooo stop Chloe, you butt._

"They're beautiful," the punk responded. "And I'm a big bundle of nerves, so I do it pretty frequently." She grinned. "I watch you while you sleep, Caulfield," she said in a creepy voice, wiggling her fingers. Max seemed to think it over, then shrugged.

"Meh," she said, "you're like my guardian angel anyways." Chloe narrowed her eyes as her lips drew taut.

"You know what?" She said, her tone irritated. "I'm real sick of you constantly out adorable-ing me, dude. Always the fucking silver medal over here."

"Silver's nice," Max said cheerily, taking a sip of her drink. "Gold can be gaudy, you know?" She thought for a moment and leaned forward, placing her hand over Chloe's. "Hey, uh...are you okay? I know you've been trying to be strong for me, but are _you_ okay?" Chloe closed one eye, tilting her head toward the ceiling.

"I'm okay," she said. "I mean, as okay as I can be, right? After dying a few times, losing a close friend, traveling through time, getting shot and watching the love of my life constantly look like an advertisement for Shark Week..." She shrugged. "It's tough but...so am I. Gotta be the strong one."

_That's not fair..._

"I don't like that," Max said quietly. "I don't want you to hide your feelings just because I'm dealing with stuff."

"Well," Chloe said with a smile, "I mean, my style is usually the 'let it build up until you explode' kind, so eventually I'll probably just shit my pants and go blind." Max scowled at her. "Babe, I'm kidding." The punk squeezed her hand. "I'm okay, promise. I'll let you know if it gets too bad. Promise."

"Kay..." Max quietly agreed. She regarded Chloe and smirked. "Love of your life, huh?"

"Yup!" Chloe said, grinning brightly. "Why, you got a problem with that title?"

"Hell no," Max laughed. "I just like hearing it." She whipped the stack of index cards around for a moment before pulling the cellophane off of them. "Wanna help me make some questions? They're supposed to be kind of simple but make you think. So no 'yes or no' questions."

"Sure," Chloe said, flopping backwards onto the floor. "First question – what's your favorite Pokemon of each type?"

"Dang dude, that's a good one!" Max excitedly scribbled it down on a card. "That would take me hours to figure out."

_Well, duh, Bulbasaur for grass, Absol for dark, Eevee for normal..._

"Such a nerd," Chloe laughed. "Anyway, question two – if you could combine two superheroes together to get a mix of their powers, who would you pick?" She enthusiastically slammed her hand on the carpet. "And then do that for villains and imagine their fight!"

_Why wouldn't you just mix Deadpool with Gambit? Invincible guy that explodes things but has a sexy Cajun accent? That sounds sick._

"Mentally write fanfiction, got it," Max giggled, writing it down. "What else?" Chloe 'hmm'd' as she sat up, spreading her legs provocatively.

"Okay, question tres – what are your top five sexual fantasies and do they include whips and silk restraints?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "Or whipped cream and strawberries. Or like, fuck, one of those cool, bouncy sex swings that-"

"Chloe," Max interrupted, giving her a stern look.

"Sorry, sorry," the blue haired girl laughed. "Maybe I'm projecting?" Max shook her head with a smile, before blushing and quickly jotting something down. "Hey!" Chloe shouted, lurching forward. "Did you actually write that down!?"

"No!" Max protested, holding the cards away from the punk. "No! I didn't! Stop trying to look!" She kicked a leg out, planting the bottom of her foot on Chloe's face to stop her advancements.

"You tryin' to get into that Fifty Shades shit, ya little freak?" Chloe squealed, reaching out for Max. After a moment of frantic whiffs at the air, she stopped, but stayed with the girl's foot on her face. Max recoiled, pulling her foot away.

"Did you just _lick my sock_!?" She asked, laughing with a hint of disgust. "That was so weird!"

"So I guess saliva socks aren't going to be on your list," Chloe giggled, sitting back on her butt. "Good to know, I guess." It was quiet for a moment, with the two looking into each others' eyes. Then Max noticed Chloe was silently mouthing something, her eyes darting all over the brunette's face.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Countin'," the punk replied. "I'm up to twenty-six." Max gasped and hid her face behind her hands. "Hey, don't do that! What the fuck, dude!" The brunette slowly lowered her hands, but Chloe huffed dramatically. "Lame, I lost count."

"Really?" Max asked. "Guess you should get a closer angle..."

"I mean, I can see pretty clear from here," she responded. She cackled when Max began to pout. "I'm fucking with you. Come here, sexy."

"That's more like it," Max purred, crawling toward Chloe. She stopped and snickered, looking beneath her. "This rug has gotten way more action than my bed."

"Keep calm and suck my goddamn face off," Chloe quipped, reaching out for the girl and pulling her into a hug. Max situated herself so she was sitting in her lap, facing toward her. She leaned in close so their noses touched.

"Hey you," she said quietly.

"Helloooo nurse," Chloe responded. She smiled wide. "So, how's it going?"

"Oh, you know..." Max said, playfully rolling her eyes. "Times are tough. I keep waiting for this uber sexy girl to take my shirt off but I just don't know if she's really _getting_ the message."

"That _is_ tough," Chloe agreed, shaking her head sympathetically. "Well, I dunno, maybe you could be more direct. Maybe this sexy girl is totally fucking dense and needs a big, flashing billboard to really drive the point home." She shrugged. "Could be, you know?"

"Could be..." Max whispered, slowly moving forward until their lips met. "I guess I could afford to spell it out for her, if she needs it." She swooped in again, stealing another soft, long kiss. She pulled back, grinning as Chloe's eyes flickered with that sleepy, just-been-kissed glaze. "I kind of have you wrapped around my finger, huh?" She asked, slowly sneaking a hand behind Chloe's neck.

"You have no _fucking_ idea," Chloe rasped, tilting her head as Max began to massage her neck. "I am utterly yours to mold as you wish." Max's eyes grew wide as she smiled deviously.

"Really?" She bit her bottom lip, looking over the punk in front of her. "Then...um, I don't have a billboard or anything, but," she leaned in close to the girl's ear, "take my fucking shirt off."

"Oh wow," Chloe laughed, blushing. "Yes ma'am." Playfully slow, she worked Max's shirt over her head and onto the floor beside them. "I really like bossy Max," she said, eying the girl.

"That a fact?" She asked. The blue haired girl simply nodded as Max removed her bra. Chloe shuddered just at the sight.

"Man," she said quietly. "I know it's probably so weird that I always say this, but I'm just...fuck, holy fuck, I have you. I have Max fucking Caulfield here in front of me and it's amazing. I'm the luckiest gal at the dance."

"Chloe," Max said with a small laugh, taking the girl's hands into her own. "You are beautiful and amazing and everything you say just makes me turn to mush. But right now, I really, really need that," she lazily drifted a finger to Chloe's lips, "all over this." She removed her finger, touching it to her chest. Chloe grinned at her.

"I really, really fucking love bossy Max."

* * *

"And there goes the day," Max said dreamily, lying in her bed. Several spots on her neck, collarbone, chest and breasts were throbbing with a delightful pain. Some even showing off teeth marks. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back and basking in the euphoria.

"Not a bad way to spend it, though," Chloe said as she pulled on her shirt, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Truth all around," Max agreed, rolling onto her side. "Is it really weird if I say that you're tasty?" She immediately scrunched her nose, providing her own answer. "I just mean like, we've fooled around sometimes right after you get off work and you're sweaty or you've been smoking or just whatever..." She snirked. "Sometimes you even stink a little." Chloe shot her a look of shock. "But, no matter what, it's just...you. _You're_ tasty."

"Okay, dude," the punk said sternly. "You need to ease up on the turning me on thing if we're ever going to make it to our double date."

"But I don't wanna," Max complained, adding a pout. "I like turning you on. I never really thought I'd _do_ that to someone."

"Gonna fuckin' smack you." Chloe ruffled the brunette's hair. "What's it gonna take for you to see yourself the way I see you?"

"That's...a good question, actually," Max said, shifting to her back. "Sorry, self esteem is hard."

"I know," Chloe said with an understanding tone. "Trust me, I know. But, and maybe this is narcissistic, just seeing the way you look at me. Hearing the things you say...I dunno. It makes me feel beautiful. I just want to give you that same feeling."

"I'm definitely getting there." Max lightly pressed against a sore spot on her neck, smiling wildly. "You're changing me for the better. I'm not so..." She laughed, shaking her head. "Chickenshit anymore."

"That you are not." Chloe slowly ran a hand through Max's hair, then dragged it downward to her chest. She stared for just a moment, then sighed. "Trevor and Dana can wait a little longer, right?"

"They can wait forever for all I care!" She held her arms open as Chloe lowered herself onto her.

* * *

"How does this happen with no one getting caught?" Max asked as the two of them walked toward the bleachers. "This seems like something teenagers only get away with in movies."

"I think you're overestimating Blackwell's security. As long as you don't make a shit ton of noise, no one is going to think to climb under the bleachers and search for..." She stopped for a moment and smiled. "Hooligans." She snickered. "Did that guy the other day really say hooligans? What fuckin' era was he from?"

"The bad one," Max said dryly.

"There you two are!" Dana called, leaning out from beneath the stands. She was suddenly tugged, disappearing. "Trevor, we have company, no," Max heard her say.

_Oh dear. Looks like they had the same plans._

"Long time no see," Chloe said as they ducked underneath the bleachers. "Thanks for stopping in yesterday." Max waved at the couple.

"It was delicious, as usual," Dana said as she fell into a lawn chair. There were four of them set up in a circle.

"Wow, you guys really made it your own," Max laughed. She took a seat in the one next to Trevor as Chloe sat next to her.

"Justin and me and even Chloe here have been coming here to smoke out forever," Trevor said, leaning forward to a bag on the ground. "Smokin' green on the green."

"He has literally been saying that since the very first time," Chloe added. "So fucking proud of it." The boy shrugged with a lazy smile, then began to pack a bowl.

"Well, I feel like it's my job as the paranoid one to ask," Max said. "Are we gonna get caught?" Trevor shook his head slowly, then faster as if the speed was directly equal to how convincing it was.

"So you've like, been hanging with Victoria lately, huh?" Dana asked, her gluttonous need for gossip unleashing.

"Yeah," Max said. "Yesterday we had a little study hall for World History but it kind of went south on us."

"So, she's like...actually cool now, huh?"

"It would appear so," Max answered. "Though she's really not feeling all the attention." She giggled as Trevor proudly held up the now packed bowl. "Go figure, Victoria Chase not wanting to be the center of attention, right?"

"Interesting..." Dana pondered for a moment. "A lot of change at Blackwell recently and it seems like you're at the center of it all, Max."

_I am an agent of change. Spooky, but it does have superhero potential._

"Because she's cool," Trevor said, sputtering out a plume of smoke. "Max is totally like a chameleon, fits in with everybody." She felt her jaw momentarily fill with pressure as her teeth ground together, remembering Jefferson's comment on Rachel.

_You know what? Fuck Jefferson. I'll take that as a compliment. Rachel was amazing._

"You are cool," Dana agreed, taking the bowl from him. "You know, I cannot believe how much I've turned into a fucking hophead since we've been together," she said, offering Trevor a disapproving glare. He shrugged at her.

"You know, it's funny you say that," Max said, giving Chloe a smirk. "Same deal with this one."

"Hey." Chloe held her hands up in defense. "You started that ball rolling all on your own. I was just there to shotgun it into your mouth. I'm an accessory, if anything. They would put me in a Ziploc bag and lock me in the evidence room."

_Okay, Chlo. You haven't enabled this habit at alllll._

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Max replied with a smile.

"This helps me sleep at night," Trevor said, pointing to the bowl in Chloe's hands. "It's like turning off the lights in my brain so I can just crash."

"Not a great sales pitch," Dana giggled. She turned to Chloe and clapped her hands together. "So," she said, "how is everything going with you two?"

"Imagine, if you will," Chloe began, smoke slowly leaking from between her lips, "that you are just constantly floating on a cloud. Like a memory foam cloud. And it's the perfect weather, the sun's out but it's not too hot, just enough to make you want to go outside. And your favorite song is always playing and it never gets boring..." Max was surprised by how off the cuff and sincere she was being. "I dunno, man, it's fucking awesome. It's like colors are brighter?"

"Oh. My. GOD!" Max yelled, shooting to her feet. "That's exactly what I said! That's how I described it to Victoria and Kate! The colors are brighter thing!" She let out a small squee and hopped in place. "We said the same dumb shit!" Dana gasped in awe, pressing a hand over her heart.

_Ahhhh that's so stupid and amazing!_

"See, that proves it," Chloe said coolly. "We're both perfectly compatible idiots." She held the bowl out to Max. "Cheers, baby." The brunette took it, still smiling like a buffoon.

"Dang," Trevor said. "I kind of forgot that I was gonna be with three girls tonight. It's very...feelsy."

"Oh hush." Dana waved a hand in annoyance. "This is adorable and you're dumb."

"Correct on both accounts," he said, holding up an index finger. He leaned to the side and shuffled through his backpack, pulling out a bag of chips. "I brought tons of munchy munch." He laughed. "Oh man, Chloe, remember that time you ate two of those big plastic barrels of Party Mix then got drunk and just puked fuzzy orange shit for like a half hour?"

"Yes, Trevor," she huffed with a hint of embarrassment. "How could I forget that highlight of my life?"

"I thought it was funny," he added with a shrug.

"But now it'd be a _brighter_ orange!" Max said, grinning and already beginning to feel a bit loose.

* * *

"The moon's so beautiful tonight," Dana said, staring up into the sky. Trevor had pulled two of the lawn chairs together, resting his feet on one while reclined in the other while Dana sat in his lap. Max and Chloe had both abandoned their chairs and sat on the ground, snuggling each other closely.

"It is," Max said, nuzzling her cheek against Chloe's. "I want to go to the moon."

_I could be a space Max._

"Yes!" Trevor exclaimed. "Let's fuckin' go to the moon! I could do every trick." He lazily drooped an arm to the side, searching in an open bag of chips. "First person to bust a 2,700 spin."

"Well, you know what they say." Chloe squeezed Max tightly with one arm, waving the other in a storyteller fashion. "Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss, you'll float away in space forever and die from any number of horrific, slow reasons."

"Yeah, I think I have that on a poster," Dana laughed. "It really helps me out when I'm feeling down." She reached forward and picked a clump of grass off of Trevor's shoe, frowning at it before flicking it away. "What time is it?" She asked.

"It is..." Max began, dipping her hand in her pocket for her phone. "11:48!"

"Fuck, I have class at eight. Life is so hard." She rested the back of her hand to her forehead, then winked at Max.

"The trials and tribulations of Dana Ward." Max nodded her head in agreement.

"Pfft, I have to work at six and I still have a few hours left in me," Chloe said, flexing her bicep. "Y'all are weak shit." Max excitedly gripped her bicep, cooing with feigned amazement.

"Get on my level," Trevor droned, his head falling backward in exhaustion. "It's level one hundred and six, by the way. No cheat codes allowed."

"And _that_ sounds like my cue to get this boy to bed," Dana said, wriggling off of his lap. She lightly slapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, babe, time for night night."

_Night night!? Well that's adorable._

After a small amount of protest, Dana finally got Trevor on his feet. They exchanged their farewells, with Dana enthusiastically suggesting (or demanding) that they should do it all again soon. After the two left, Max and Chloe sat in the grass, holding each other closely.

"I'm still high," Max said with a smile after some silence.

"I can tell," the punk laughed, holding the girl's hand. "You keep stroking your jeans."

"It feels good," Max argued nonchalantly. "Denim's basically silk."

"I know what else feels good," Chloe suggested, raising her eyebrow.

"Eating cookies!?" Max clawed into her with wild eyes. "When they're warm still and a teensy bit gooey and you have a big cup of milk?" Chloe narrowed her eyes.

"I can't tell if you're fucking with me or being serious. You've stolen my sarcasm all Rogue-style and harnessed it into something far more devastating. An atom bomb of wit." She giggled as she brushed Max's hair out of her face. "You're somethin' else."

"Somethin' else good or bad?" Max asked, straddling the blue haired girl. "And what's wrong with cookies?"

_Talk shit on cookies Chloe swear to mofuckin'..._

"Somethin' else great," Chloe said. "And nothing. Cookies are rad."

"I could eat 'em all," Max whispered, burying her face into the girl's neck.

"Yeah?" Chloe began to rub her back gently. "How many?"

"Six million." Max's voice was muffled against the punk's skin. "Six million and four."

"I think you'd have to barf after like thirty-five of them," she responded sympathetically, patting the girl's back. "Don't think you could do that many, Maxaroni."

"Could too," she mumbled, then pressed her teeth into Chloe's neck. The girl shuddered in delight.

"Hey," she said, gently tugging on Max's locks, "you trying to ninja hickey me?"

"Ninja," Max said quietly, resuming her attack. Chloe chuckled and tilted her head to the side, giving the girl more real estate. She stared up through the slats in the bleachers, catching small glimmers of stars in the night sky. She casually slipped her other hand beneath Max and cupped her ass as the pressure grew tighter on her neck.

"You know," she said, nibbling her lip as the stars twinkled. "This is romantic and kind of sleazy-hot all at once." There was an audible pop as Max removed herself from the punk's neck, positioning herself so that their noses touched.

"Necking out under the school bleachers while high is really not something I expected to happen during my stay at Blackwell, no," she admitted, swishing their noses together. "Buuuut..." She quickly nabbed her phone and switched on the flashlight, angling it at Chloe's neck. She grew a big grin. "I totally got you," she said. "That's a big one."

"Good job, baby," Chloe chuckled, pulling the girl into a hug. She softly kissed her cheek as her hand searched on its own for Max's. "I'm real proud of you."


	25. Angrily Grateful

Max sat back in the chair and took a sip of her coffee as the Skype call dialed. After a moment, a window opened up, revealing Ryan and Vanessa Caulfield huddled together with big smiles.

_Oh man, I've missed those faces._

"Maxine!" Her mother greeted, waving frantically at the camera.

"Hi guys," she responded, smiling herself. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving, kiddo," her dad said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good! Just relishing the long weekend before more school. Homework has been extra sucky lately." She leaned forward and smirked. "Mom, I love your hair! When did you get it done?"

"Well, thank you, Max," she said, whipping her hair to the left and right. "How nice it is to know _someone_ noticed." Her father sighed and buried his face in his palm.

"Said I was sorry," he grumbled.

"Dad, it looks totally different! How did you not notice?" Max laughed. She shook her head, tsking.

"Can I plead blindness?" He squinted, glancing toward the bottom of the screen. "The little Skype clock says we've been talking for two minutes and you guys are already ganging up on me. It's like you never left." He chuckled. "That's not true. We miss you like crazy." Her mother nodded in agreement.

"Miss you guys too," she said, reaching for a piece of paper on her desk. "Hey look, I made something for ya." She held up the paper, an outline of her hand with poorly drawn turkey features. Back when Max was too young to even form memories, her father taught her how to draw a turkey using her hand. Somehow, this spiraled into a yearly, quirky tradition. "Bet you thought I wouldn't make one since we weren't together."

_The Caulfield 'Hand Turkey' lineage shall continue!_

"The tradition's alive!" Her father exclaimed, grinning. "That makes me so happy. What's its name this year?" Max scrunched her lips to the side, unleashing a 'hmmm.'

"Not sure, I've been teetering back and forth between Argyle and Ferdinand." She turned the paper toward herself and surveyed it. "What do you think, Mom?"

"I think..." She puffed out her cheeks, then released the air. "That's a tough call. I'm gonna put my vote in for Argyle."

"That sounds good to me," her dad said.

"It is decided!" Max said, using an ominous tone. She grabbed her pencil and quickly scribbled the name beneath the turkey. She showed it to them one more time, providing proof of his new name. "So," she began, plucking the plastic lid to her coffee, "what are your guys' plans for today?"

"Well, your Nana's coming over for dinner," her mom said. "So I'll have my hands full, of course. She's been obsessed with this Cornish hen thing she saw on television a few weeks back. Nevermind, of course, that I've literally had the turkey for two months." She pursed her lips. "I'm just going to tell her that they all merged together like that Vorpon cartoon your dad loves."

"Voltron," he corrected. "Vanessa, it's Voltron." He snickered as he shook his head. "And you know me, I'll be watching football!" Her dad gave her a thumbs up. "Some decent games on today. Pittsburgh against Baltimore! Who you got?" He asked. Max rolled her eyes as if the question was ludicrous.

"Pop, always Baltimore. They're named after Edgar Allan Poe! How can I not root for that?"

"Fair enough, should've known better," he laughed.

"Your nose looks so cute!" Her mother suddenly squealed, poking her finger at the camera, briefly turning the screen black. "How does it feel? It looked so red and sore in that picture you sent us."

"It's okay!" Max lightly tapped her piercing with her finger. "It doesn't really hurt anymore, just when I have to turn it." She chuckled. "Though I do panic every time I sneeze, like I'm gonna blow my whole nose off."

"Oh gosh." Her mother recoiled. "That's not a good image. My baby walking around with a big hole in her face."

"I dunno," Ryan laughed. "You wouldn't have stuffy noses anymore! But nosebleeds would be an issue." Max winced at that, but luckily they didn't notice. "So what about you, kiddo? What are you doing today?"

"Chloe's coming to pick me up soon," she said, blushing a little. "Joyce is making a feast apparently."

"God," her father said, closing his eyes. "I still think about her pumpkin pie sometimes. Out of nowhere, I'll just be talking to someone at work and it'll pop into my head." Her mother rolled her eyes, nudging him playfully.

"This is why I don't make it," she quipped. "It'd never live up to the expectations. You'll have to deal with the sweet potato pie."

"That's good too," he said, grinning dreamily. "I just like pie." Max snickered.

"You know," she said, drumming her fingers lightly on her desk, "I'm...kind of nervous. This is like our first real holiday together. Feels like a big deal."

"That's a good nervous," her mother said. "It's so exciting when you first start dating someone! Then you get married and they grow a beard." Her dad pouted, rubbing a hand along his chin. "I'm joking, Ryan. I've grown to really love this whole lumberjack shtick." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Guuuuys," Max huffed, waving her hand. "No lovey dovey in front of your daughter, please." Her mother arched an eyebrow at her teasingly. Suddenly, the door behind Max swung open.

"Awwwww shit," Chloe shouted, channeling her inner boxing announcer, "baby, you fuckin' ready to put a bunch of ugly bird into that hella cute tummy of yours!?" Max turned to her, her eyes wide. She nodded to the laptop on the desk. "What," the punk asked, strolling toward her, "did I catch you watching gross porn? I told you not to watch any of that latex, vacuum sealed shit without me, Maaaaaa- " Her voice carried on without her consent as she stopped dead in her tracks. Her brows crinkled together as she saw Max's parents quietly staring at her. "Oh god," she yelped, turning a dark scarlet color. "Oh god, oh god!" She quickly turned around and scrambled back out the door, slamming it behind her.

"Well..." Max said, popping her lips. "That happened."

_On the 'worst things you could possibly say while I'm Skyping my parents' scale, that was probably a sixteen._

"Was that Chloe?" Her mother asked, a small smile appearing on her face. "She looks so different!"

"That was her." Max nodded. "That was crazy, man, she was like the Roadrunner. Big plume of dust and everything."

"Well, tell her to get her ass in here so we can say hi!" Her dad shook his head, laughing. "Hella cute tummy, Jesus Christ, it's like another language."

"You still say groovy," her mother said, prodding his shoulder.

"Well, sometimes things are just groovy!" He argued, holding his hands up in defense. Max turned back to look at the door to her room.

"I'm...going to get her," she said. "Sit tight okay?"

Max slowly opened to the door to the hallway, spotting Chloe immediately. The punk was pacing in circles, muttering to herself with her hands tightly wound through her hair.

_That's about what I expected, yeah._

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," she mumbled, her eyes crazed.

"Babe?" Max quietly closed the door behind her. "You uh, okay?" Chloe turned to her, her face still red.

"Oh god, Max, that was so embarrassing! Do your folks hate me now? That was the worst! Oh god, oh god!"

"What!? No, they want to talk to you!" She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's okay, dude, just breathe."

"No. No no no." The girl feverishly shook her head. "I can't look at them in the virtual eye after that!" She clawed at her eyelids. "Agh, why am I the worst. No, just tell them my head exploded from embarrassment."

"Hey," Max said sternly, poking her in the chest, "you knock it off. Be my girlfriend and go talk to my parents." Chloe looked down at the floor sheepishly, then sighed.

"Ooookay," she said. She glanced back up at Max as she awkwardly rubbed her arm. "Um, can...I get a hype kiss?"

"Define a 'hype kiss,'" Max said, crossing her arms.

"Like, you know, a kiss that'll psych me up and make it so I don't want to vomit." Chloe let out a little smirk. Max tilted her head to the side, releasing a toothy grin.

"Oh, fine," she said as if it were trouble. She slowly moved to Chloe, reaching her hand up to cup the girl's cheek. As their lips met, Max pressed her weight forward, pinning the punk against the wall. She worked her mouth open, snaking in her tongue as Chloe gripped her by the waist. "Okay," Max said as they broke the kiss. "Good? Ready?"

"Not really," the blue haired girl admitted. "But it did get you to kiss me, so I'll take it."

As the two reentered the room, Max could hear her parents having some kind of discussion about their dinner, with Ryan speaking fondly of the array of desserts he would soon devour. She approached her laptop, with Chloe dragging her feet behind her, and pulled out the chair.

"Ahem," she said, faking a cough and snagging her parents attention. She glanced at Chloe and nodded at the chair. With a small sigh, the punk sat down, shrinking under the gaze of her parents.

_Poor Chloe, I don't remember the last time I saw her this nervous._

"Uh, hi, Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield," she said. Max's mother lurched toward the screen, an open mouthed smile on her face.

"Chloe! Oh my god, that _is_ you!" She regarded her husband with disbelief before turning back to the camera. "You look so different! I love your hair!"

"Thanks," she said, blushing. "I know I look kind of...rough these days."

"What!" Max's mother cried. "You're freaking gorgeous!"

"Oh, gosh." She blushed further. "That's really nice of you..."

"Chloe..." Ryan said, his voice stern and quiet. His gaze was steely.

"Uh, yes, sir?" She asked. Max could tell she was holding her breath, her fingers twitching together by her side. Slowly, he brought his wrists together, opening his hands to create a shadow puppet version of an animal maw.

"Crocodile," he said softly. Chloe gasped. A large grin fought to the surface of her cheeks.

"You...you remember that?" She asked.

Max recalled that when they were much younger, her parents had been watching the movie Lake Placid late at night. She and Chloe had snuck into the room, hellbent on seeing their first R rated movie. They hid in the back of the living room for a grand total of five minutes before Chloe became so frightened that she began to cry, alerting Max's parents to their presence. Afterward, her father would often make this gesture and playfully chomp onto Chloe's shoulder or head. It was one of those endearing things that sprouted between family, blood related or not.

"Of course I remember that," he said. "That movie was awful!" He smiled warmly, slinging an arm around Vanessa's shoulders. "How are you, Chloe?"

"I'm...good," she said. "Great, actually. I can honestly say I've never been better." She quickly turned to regard Max behind her and smiled, taking the girl's hand into her own. "All thanks to your daughter." Max's mother let out a small squee of excitement.

"This is so incredible," her mother said. "You two reconnecting after all this time and falling for each other. Ah, so dreamy." She pressed her palms into her cheeks and grinned. "So adorable," she sighed.

"Mom," Max protested, rolling her eyes.

"No, no, she's totally right," Chloe laughed. "You are pretty dreamy."

"No lovey dovey in front of your parents," Max's father laughed. "This is a two way street, guys." Chloe giggled and rested her chin in her hand, staring at the screen. Tears began to collect themselves in the corners of her eyes.

"Man," she said quietly, slowly shaking her head. "I have missed you guys so much." Max's parents silently took it in, with knowing, somber smiles. Chloe chuckled as a few tears escaped, racing down her cheeks. "Really, really missed you," she added.

"We've missed you too, honey," Vanessa said. "We couldn't be happier that you're back in our lives." She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe how much you've grown up!"

"Still got a ways to go," Chloe replied shyly. "But I'm getting there, yeah." Somewhere off to the side of Max's parents, a phone began to ring. Her mother flung her head back in annoyance, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Max's Nana," she said grumpily. "She's been calling every twenty minutes." She turned to her husband and pouted. "I guess that's our cue to sign off. Chloe, it was so amazing seeing you. I hope we'll get to see you in person soon! Gonna hug your freakin' head off."

"Aw, don't do that," Max puffed out her bottom lip. "I need her head or else she's just going to bump into things constantly. She actually does that a lot anyway."

"Hey, shush." Chloe pointed at Max, then turned back to the laptop. "You can hug my head off anytime. I'd love to come visit you guys."

"And tell your mother we said hi," Max's father added. "We both miss her."

"Will do," Chloe responded, nodding happily. "She'll be thrilled, I'm sure." The phone began to ring again, with Max's mother huffing in exasperation.

"Okay, Mom! I GET IT!" She screeched, holding her hands out like claws. "Max, if I ever start calling you three times an hour just to talk about the new set of commercials I've seen, please tie me to a hot air balloon and let me float away."

"Duly noted," Max said.

"Have a great Thanksgiving, kids," Ryan said. "We love you both." Her mother chimed in with her own 'I love you,' waving giddily. Chloe gasped.

"Love you too, guys," Max said, giving a dorky salute to the camera.

"I...I love you guys too!" Chloe said hurriedly, frantically reaching out for the laptop. The Skype call closed, leaving the two girls quiet for a moment. The punk turned to Max. "Holy shit, they said they love me!"

"Of course they did." Max bent down to wrap the girl in a hug. "You're the person making their daughter's life actual heaven on Earth. Why wouldn't they?" She gave the girl a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Fuckin' wowser," Chloe said, her eyes twinkling in thought.

* * *

"I've returned!" Chloe declared as she walked into her house. "And I've brought a baboo Maximus-Rex with me!" Max snickered, taking off her jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. She rubbed her hands together for warmth.

"It's about time," Joyce said, leaning out from the kitchen. She smiled at Max. "Hi, sweetie, Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving," Max replied. Chloe scampered down the hall and into the living room. The brunette wandered into the kitchen, her eyes lighting up at all the food. "Holy cow, Joyce."

"I might have overdone it this year," she admitted with a laugh, wiping her hands on her apron. "But it feels special, you know? Like I might finally have a peaceful holiday with my family..."

_Aw, Joyce...who knows how long you've been waiting for this._

"Dammit, Chloe! Stop standing in front of the TV!" David shouted from the living room.

"But I really need to stand in this exact spot for very intricate reasons," she playfully argued back. "It's super important, David." Max could hear the man laugh.

"Well, as peaceful as it's going to get," Joyce finally added with a shrug.

"I'm glad, Joyce," Max said. "Thank you for letting me have dinner with you guys."

"Of course!" She said. She pulled Max into a tight hug. "You're part of the family, you're always welcome."

"That...means a lot." Max nuzzled into her embrace, savoring the comfort.

_Mom hugs are super underrated._

"This is so weird," Chloe said, leaning against the door frame. "Our parents are so all in on this. Like, if this was Vegas, they'd be throwing their life savings at the dealer." She lurched forward from the wall and took a step toward her mother. "I talked to Max's parents on Skype a little bit ago. They told me to tell you hi and that they miss you."

"Oh," Joyce said quietly, bringing her hand to her chest. "I do miss Ryan and Vanessa. We had a lot of good times." She smiled somewhat sadly and nodded. "Please, Max, do make sure you tell them I miss them too. A whole lot."

_I guess I forget that they were close too..._

"Absolutely." Max rested her head on Joyce's shoulder for a moment before her phone buzzed, pulling her attention away. She glanced at the screen and gasped, then began laughing.

"Who is it?" Chloe asked, dipping her finger into some sort of dessert. "Your parents texting you to secretly tell you I'm an asshole?" She giggled as she licked the icing off her finger.

"Oh hush," Max said, swinging her foot at the punk. "No, what we have here is something I like to call 'The Chase Meltdown.'" She tapped her phone, holding it out to Chloe.

**Victoria:** THIS WAS A MISTAKE HER FAMILY IS HORRIFYING

**Victoria:** WE HAD TO GO TO CHURCH AND I DRANK ALL THE WINE

**Victoria:** I DIDNT KNOW I WASNT SUPPOSED TO

**Victoria:** SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS SOSOSOSOSOSSOSOSO

"Holy shit!" Chloe burst into laughter. "That is fucking gold. She drank all the Jesus blood! Oh my god, I will _never_ let her live that down."

"You might even say you'll crucify her for it," Max chirped proudly. Chloe's laughter immediately halted as she stared at the girl.

"Bad Max," she said, lightly swatting the girl on the head. "No joke, no mouth, no, no."

"Fine," Max huffed, crossing her arms. "Enjoy your thirty pieces of silver, asshole."

* * *

"Joyce, this looks incredible," David said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. The four of them sat around the table, adorned with something Max could only identify as a banquet. Her eyes shimmered at the sight before her.

_Turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, some corn, green beans..._

"Thanks, hon," Joyce said as she took a seat. She held up a bottle of wine. "Would you girls like some?" Chloe snirked, her thoughts obviously drifting to Victoria. "What?" She asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Nothing," Max said, tapping Chloe's leg with her foot under the table. "Chloe's just bein' dumb. I'd love some, thanks." Joyce narrowed her eyes for a moment, then shrugged, pouring Max a glass. Chloe reached forward to grab a biscuit, but Joyce's mother-senses gave her ample time to slap the girl's hand away. Max snickered as Chloe pouted.

_Like Spider-Man but instead of climbing on buildings, she knows when you're misbehaving!_

"Not yet," she scolded. "We're going to go around the table and say what we're thankful for." Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes, falling against the back of the chair with her arms crossed.

"We never had to do this before," she argued.

"Well, that's because..." Joyce's expression softened. "I'll go first, then." She cleared her throat and reached out both arms. Max immediately took her hand, though Chloe stared at it for a moment in a typically bratty fashion. Finally, she sighed and took her mother's hand. "I am so thankful that, for the first time in what feels like forever, I can have a Thanksgiving dinner with a real family. It took a long time and some harrowing experiences, but finally we're together with no screaming, no drama...no fighting. It might not seem like a lot to you," she briefly glanced at Chloe, "but this is all I've ever wanted. To feel like a family again." Max felt a slight squeeze on her hand. "I'm also thankful that Max has finally come back into our lives. Sweetie, you've done so much for all of us here, and I love you like you were one of my own."

"Wowsers, Joyce," Max said quietly, blushing and shrinking into her shoulders. "Thank you."

"Of course, Max." She squeezed her hand once more. "Would you like to go next?"

_Oh jeez, performance anxiety. Breathe, breathe._

"Um, okay." Max took a small breath. "I'm, uh, thankful for...pretty much everything. I - I don't mean that to be a cop out. Just that...I've been thinking a lot about, well, everything lately. Just life in general. I'm thankful for being back in Arcadia Bay, for meeting back up with Chloe, for being here with all of you right now. I guess I'm just thankful I'm right where I want to be?" She frowned and shrugged. "Sorry, I don't do great on the spot. Just nice to feel like I belong somewhere."

_Well, that was lame._

"That was perfect, Max," David said, briefly patting her on the shoulder. He took a quick swig of beer, then cleared his throat. "I'll go now. I'm uh, sure you know what I'm going to mention," he said. The energy around the table took a momentary dip. "I hate thinking about it and bringing it up just as much as the rest of you, but..." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, opening them back up and focusing on the blue haired girl, startling her. "I'm thankful for you, Chloe. We could have lost you not that long ago and...I don't know what I would have done. My heart would be broken. But I'm thankful that even though it was a terrible price, it brought us together. I could always see how beautiful and happy you could be with other people and just, that you're finally allowing me into that space..." He cleared his throat once more and swiped at his eyes. "Dammit, Joyce, I think you used too many onions." Max looked at Chloe, who had the same expression as someone who had just been caught doing something they weren't supposed to.

_Well, David totally just stomped my thankful speech and I ain't even mad. That was awesome._

It was silent for just a moment, with David staring off at the far wall, recollecting himself. Chloe, clearly unsure of what to do, simply turned back to the food and slowly reached for a biscuit again.

"Chloe," Joyce said quietly. "You have to go now." The punk glanced at her, continuing to inch her hand closer to the biscuit. "Chloe!" Joyce raised her voice, laughing as she shook her head.

"Ugh, okay, fine," she said, letting her head droop backward. Max could already feel her lips curling into a smile at whatever smartass comment Chloe was cooking up. She rested her elbows on the table, cradling her head in her hands. "I'm thankful..." She grunted. "This isn't fair. I have too many things." She turned to her mother, looking her up and down. "Fine, you first, mother dearest." She pointed at her accusingly, causing Joyce to recoil. "I'm thankful for you just fucking existing..." She glanced to the side, debating her use of swearing, then shrugged. "For years you've tolerated my insane anger, all my shitty, stupid rebellion that did nothing but give you headaches. I'm thankful that you even _kind of_ still love me after all the times I've screamed at you and said shit I obviously didn't mean."

"Chloe..." Joyce interrupted, but the punk waved her hand dismissively.

"Nah, this is Pandora's Box of mushiness, you can't stop me now. Look, I'm thankful that you were strong enough to pick up the pieces after Dad died, because I obviously wasn't. You dragged me kicking and screaming through one of the worst things a teenager can go through and only now can I really appreciate it. You're a goddamn superhero, seriously." Chloe pointed at the food. "Look at this! This is ridiculous! And you cooked it up like it was no big thing. How do I even get to be as cool as you? It seems impossible!" She flailed about in a frustrated manner. "I'm thankful that all the shitheads at the Two Whales look at me and grumpily say I'm just like you. That's seriously rad. I love you, Mom."

Joyce remained silent, her eyes wide and contemplative. David let out a small chuckle as he reached for his beer.

"Oh, think that's funny, huh?" Chloe asked, whipping in his direction. He slowly set the bottle back on the table, a look of fear in his eyes. Her tone severely betrayed the words she was using.

_Woah...Chloe is on a kindness rampage...this isn't what I was expecting._

"You," she said, shaking her finger at David, "well don't I just owe you the biggest fuckin' apology ever? I treated you like a fucking monster all because you committed the horrific crime of...gasp, making my mother happy!" She laughed and shook her head. "Dude, I'm sorry, okay? For all the years I actively tried to piss you off. I'm thankful for you too, really. You were there for my mom when she needed it. You made her happy again." She glanced back at Joyce, who sheepishly exchanged a look with the even more bashful David. "She deserves the world and you're trying so hard to give it to her, and I'm thankful for that. Thankful that you didn't just spend two months with me and say 'fuck this' and bounce. So many quote, unquote 'men' would have done that, but you stuck around. That means a lot. And..." She closed her eyes, tapping two fingers to her forehead. "I'm thankful you were trying so hard to look out for me. And for keeping an eye on the Rachel thing. For taking your job seriously and actually caring about us. And just for being so fuckin' cool, you know? I, uh..." She stopped talking for a moment, working up some nerve, her fingers nervously fiddling together. "I love you, David." His jaw slacked open as she said it, as if the wind were knocked out of him. "David...I dunno, Dad-vid? Yeah, you're Dadvid, now. Fucking deal with it," she snarled. She smirked and sat back, finally turning to Max.

_Oh god, this is the most confusing thing ever. I'm so nervous._

"Max," she said quietly, reeling in her all of her rambunctiousness. "I'm thankful for you. For everything you are. You're my hero, my light, the only thing that makes sense in this crazy world." Max began to smile as they made eye contact, Joyce and David fading out of her periphery. "Life is _super_ fuckin' strange, and I don't think anyone knows that better than you and I. We've been through so much that nobody will ever understand. I'm so, so thankful that you're sitting here in front of me. I was waiting so long, just hoping and dreaming you'd come back to me. And you did! You did..." She sighed dreamily, now wiping at her teary eyes. "Thankful for every second I get with you. Thankful that time has been on our side, that I've gotten a second chance..." She playfully shrugged. "Or ten," she admitted slyly.

It was perfect, the words meaning something so much different to Joyce and David than they did to Max. She felt a foot slowly rub against hers.

"Max, babe, sweetie, darling," Chloe said, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "I am so, _so_ fucking thankful for every breath you take, every smile you bless me with, every kiss you give me, every goddamn hippie song you show me. Max..." She smiled, squeezing the brunette's hand tightly. "I love you."

_I am just...can't words..._

Max's face was burning with love and sweetness and every good feeling someone could experience. It was silent as Chloe's blue eyes acted as magnets, flashing all the same emotions they did the time they kissed each other with their eyes open. She could see from the corner of her sight that Joyce was rubbing at her face, letting go of a sniffle.

"Well, I think that-" Joyce began, but Chloe cut her off.

"In conclusion!" She shouted, holding her index finger in the air. "I'm fucking thankful for all of you. You," she pointed at Joyce, "you," she pointed at David, "and you," she said, landing on Max. "Thankful, thankful, thankful. Okay, _Mom_?" She turned to her, baring her teeth in a victorious, crazed grin. The punk slammed her hands on the table and began to laugh maniacally. "Whew!" She said as she fanned herself. "I need a fucking cigarette!"

* * *

"Get enough to eat?" Joyce asked Max as the two of them washed dishes.

_How can you possibly ask me that in seriousness? You watched me eat three plates!_

"Yes, too much," she admitted with a chuckle. "I think I could be the stunt double for the boulder in Raiders."

"Oooh," Joyce cooed, wiggling her hips. "Harrison Ford was such a hottie in that movie. William was obsessed with it, wanted to get a hat and whip and everything."

"I _still_ have a crush on Harrison Ford." Max laughed as Joyce handed her a new plate to dry. "Like, I mean even currently. Earring and all."

"He is working that silver fox angle, huh?" Joyce giggled. She stopped washing for a moment, a quiet small creeping over her face. "I blame you, you know?" She said, turning to Max.

"Blame me?" Max asked, feeling nervous. "For what?"

_What did I do now?_

"For the way she is now," she said, her smile expanding into a grin. "Chloe. She's just been a whole new person since you've been back. I guess you could attribute some of it to her, uh, brush with death but..." She shrugged. "I think it's you. It's all you. You left her..." Joyce shook her head. "No, you _had_ to leave her when she needed you the most. It's not your fault, of course. But, years go by, you two don't talk at all and then, like magic, you're there for her just when she needs you the most again...like the universe was righting a wrong." She craned her neck, trying to peek into the living room. "Who knows, maybe I'm over thinking it, but I just think it's really amazing. Writers wish they could come up with something so unbelievable."

_You're not too far off, Joyce. Though, the universe did need some convincing._

"Yes!" David boomed from the living room.

"Woo! That guy sported so good just now! I have no idea what's going on!" Chloe added with enthusiasm.

_I should totally freak Chloe out and talk about sports. She'd never expect that._

"And that," Joyce pointed to the living room, "is just another miracle on top of it all." She chuckled quietly. "I think I just about gave up on those two ever tolerating each other, let alone bonding and liking each other." She smirked. "Dadvid, huh? It has a ring to it."

"Chlo loves her nicknames," Max laughed. "I think she secretly has a notepad somewhere with hundreds of variations on Max that she can call on anytime she wants."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Joyce said a little dryly. She looked down at the sink and groaned. "I think that's enough for now. I didn't even know we had this many dishes! I'll let the rest soak for a bit." She wrapped Max in a hug, kissing her on the head. "Thanks for helpin', hon."

"Anytime, Joyce."

"Hey, uh, can I has?" Max turned around to see Chloe gently swinging an unopened wine bottle by the neck like a pendulum.

"You already had some," her mother said, crossing her arms as she smiled.

"But, Mommy..." Chloe brought the bottle to her cheek, sending out intense puppy eyes.

"Fine," Joyce said. "Only because it has been about ten years since you've called me that and I miss it." She surveyed the blue haired girl. "Where does the time go?"

"You'd have to ask Max," Chloe giggled, grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her toward the steps. Max gasped, then laughed as she shook her head.

_You think you're so clever, don't you?_

* * *

"Okay," Chloe said, sitting on her desk as she smoked a cigarette. "What about Elliott Smith verses Reznor?" She blew a smoke ring, tapping the cigarette so the ash fell into the ashtray.

"They wouldn't even be fighting," Max replied, sitting on Chloe's bed, gently swishing a wine glass around. "Those two were built for collaboration, if only Smith were still alive." She took a small sip of the wine. "They kinda look alike, you ever notice that?"

_And they BOTH look like Snape. A Harry Potter musical would be pretty sweet... Someone should call Trent Reznor's people._

"Trent's way hotter," Chloe said with a grin. "But I think you might be on to something. Could you imagine like, a mash up of Starfuckers, Inc. and Between the Bars?" She wiggled left and right, the ember on her cigarette bursting with red as she pulled on it.

"No, I really can't," Max laughed. "I was thinking more Hurt and Oh Well, Okay."

"Sure, go with the safe choice!" Chloe stamped out her cigarette, letting it roll into the ashtray. She leaned behind her and shut the window. "It's gettin' cold, man!" She shivered as she walked to the bed, flopping down on top of Max. "Make me hot," she teased.

"That's your job," Max quipped back, quickly tickling the girl's ribs, causing her to roll off of her. "Blue is the warmest color, after all."

"Is that the new lesbian movie?" She asked, reaching for her glass of wine. "I mean, I just don't know if we can relate to that type of material."

"Well, certainly," Max giggled. "You and I are more the American Psycho type, I feel." She chuckled to herself as Chloe accidentally spilled wine on her shirt, reminding her of the night she received her lap dance.

_That...that was a good night. Siiiigh._

"Gotta return some videotapes," Chloe mumbled as she swiped a thumb on her shirt, scowling when she only smeared the stain. "We should watch it, though. Both of those, actually...like back to back. I like emotional whiplash."

"I'm almost positive it's already on your flash drive." Max took another sip. "Warren's a teenaged guy, of course he has the lesbian movie. Though in fairness, he said he read the graphic novel and that he hated the ending, so maybe it isn't on there." She shrugged, going back in for yet another sip.

"This wine is kind of good, huh?" Chloe asked after downing the rest of her glass. "Or maybe I just like anything with alcohol." She snickered into her hand. "That's a _great_ attribute to have, right? Where's my RPG where I can increase that stat?"

"I think it's good," Max said, handing Chloe the bottle. She snirked and held out her hand in mock sophistication. "This vintage Arcadia Bay has been aged for three hundred and nine years, juiced from only the sassiest and most plump grapes." She took a small sip, swishing the glass in a circle. "Yes, you can really experience the strength of the vine from which the grapes grew." She pointed at the glass in Chloe's hand and nodded encouragingly.

"Right, right," the punk laughed, taking a sip from her newly filled glass. She struck a similar pose to Max. "What's truly fabulous about this particular batch is the light, airy texture only possible when made on a President's Day. It breathes against the tongue, seemingly replenishing the rich flavor." Max squawked with laughter, then pulled her hand down in front of her face, regaining her composure.

"And it's remarkable," she said, gesturing to the bottle, "that they managed to bottle on a President's Day over a hundred years before that holiday even existed!" Max giggled as she neared the end of the sentence, prompting Chloe to join in until they were both in hysterics.

"Okay, okay, sorry! I didn't take into account your fucking three hundred year brewing time," she laughed, burying her face in one of her hands.

"Dammit, Chloe!" Max waved her hands around frantically. "If we're ever going to get our wine connoisseur careers going, we need to be on the same page!" She huffed, shaking her head. "Napa Valley don't play that shit."

_I love how me and Chloe can just riff on a dumb idea forever._

"So," Chloe said, slinging a leg over Max's lap after they both calmed down, "our first big family holiday together as a couple... I'd say it was a success, right?"

"Hella success." Max nodded in agreement. "Uh, hey," she said, scooting over so their hips touched. "That was some serious ranting down there. It was so confusing. It was like a greeting card sentiment wrapped up in a Carlin bit." She gingerly began to rub Chloe's foot.

"Heh, yeah," the blue haired girl snickered. "I guess it was all bottled up and my mom's little 'let's be thankful, gee whiz' thing popped the cork." She shrugged. "Because I'm the kind of person who bottles up positive feelings!" She furrowed her brow. "I think I almost blacked out during that whole thing, I was talking so fast."

"Well, I just wanted to say it was amazing. And you said you loved me in front of Joyce and David."

_I wonder what they thought of that..._

"Because I do, dumb dumb," Chloe said, booping Max on the nose. "I do wonder though," she looked up in thought, "like, when people hear us say we love each other, do they just think 'aww high school sweethearts, too bad they'll never make it?' Because that's obviously a thing and all, but..." She leaned forward, bonking their foreheads together. "We're timeless, we're not just ditzy highschoolers playing at puppy love."

"Well, I guess we'll prove them wrong with time," Max added, then scrunched her nose. "The word 'time' has pretty much lost all meaning, huh? Feels like every sentence with it has three or four interpretations. We're a pretentious literature teacher's wet dream."

"Pretty sure Hemingway is a literature teacher's wet dream," the punk mused. "Teachers everywhere must be constantly jacking-slash-swiping it to that guy. He fished with a machine gun!" She acted as though she were holding a rifle, jolting her shoulders as she quietly mumbled 'bang.'

"Okay, first of all, super gross," Max laughed, pouring herself some more wine. "Second of all, uh, I dunno...gross. Just gross." She arched an eyebrow. "Wait, swiping it?"

"Yeah, like a DJ, yanno? Like..." Chloe placed her hand over her crotch and made a few quick 'scratch' motions.

"Oh god!" Max doubled over in a burst of giggles. "That is tremendously unflattering!" Chloe laughed with her, elbowing her in the side.

"Hey, it's not! It's natural, man!" She narrowed her eyes, her lips growing taut. "Hey, do you think, uh, Kate...?"

"Noooooo we're not doing this!" Max immediately began to chug her glass, her cheeks turning red. Chloe grinned at her with an eyebrow raised.

_Wine is good wine is good wine is good don't think about Kate pretending to be Skrillex wine is good_

"Like, I said, it's natural! You know god totally doesn't think it's a sin, he was probably so stoked when the first person discovered it. Just like 'yeah, buddy! You go! I'm so proud of ya!'" She glanced to the side, losing herself in thought once more. Max brought the glass to her lips again, shaking her head before Chloe could say any more. "No, no, but listen," the punk argued, waving her hand in a 'calm down' fashion. "Do you think Victoria does it with our little Christian friend in mind?" Max lowered the glass and 'hmm'd.'

_Now that's actually a pretty good question._

"There does seem to be something going on there, huh? At least from the Victoria side." She lightly tapped her finger against her glass.

"Uh, yes!" Chloe excitedly said. "Babe, that girl is head over heels for Kate. Like, I'm not even sure _she_ really knows it yet, but it's definitely evident from her body language and her little Freudian slips."

"But..." Max said, scrunching her lips to the side. "I don't know, that seems like a really bad move. Kate has been so amazingly cool about us, but I still don't really know where she lands on the whole 'smite the queer folks' issue. Plus, she's made comments here and there about being into guys, so I don't know..."

"Oh," Chloe said with a knowing, sarcastic smirk as she gripped Max's shoulder. "If only there were _some_ way for a person to like both genders! If only we could invent such a thing! I mean it's not like _we_ are sitting here right now, proof of the very concept! " She drooped her head to the side. "Seriously, dude?"

"Oh yeah," Max giggled, snuggling into Chloe. "I forgot!" She quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Still," she said with a shrug, "I don't know how Kate feels about that. There's a lot of different hoops to jump through for that to even be a thing. And I mean, who's to say it's not just a passing fascination for Vic? Maybe in a month, she'll be into someone else."

"Could be," Chloe said, finishing her glass off once more. "I just think it's cute, is all. I mean, if it ever took off, then they'd _also_ be having their first family holiday together. How cool is that?"

"Oh shit," Max chuckled, springing up from the bed and heading toward the desk. "That reminds me, I should see if I have any more texts from her." She tapped her phone, her eyes bulging as the screen lit up. "Okay, wow," she laughed. "I have a litany of texts from over the course of the day."

**Victoria:** I've prayed every prayer thats ever existed

**Victoria:** Her sister is really cool tho, she likes fashion

**Victoria:** now her grandmother is talkin shit on black people :/

**Victoria:** LOL! Kate told her to hush and she did

**Victoria:** her sister is NOT cool. she thinks Lady Gaga is a demon

**Victoria:** I ate all the stuffing idk

**Victoria:** YOURE NOT EVEN READING THESE

**Victoria:** Grammy Marsh back at it with the racism. Booooo.

**Victoria:** just fucking wrecked her little cousin in hopscotch

**Victoria:** FAMILY PICTURES FUCKIN NO

**Victoria:** I ate all the pumpkin pie idk

"This is like a timeline of a Lovecraft protagonist, just a slow descent into madness," Max giggled as she tossed Chloe the phone. The punk looked over it, mouthing the words as she read them, her smile growing bigger with each passing second.

"Welp, this is the best thing I've ever seen," Chloe said, her eyes ablaze with joy. "Think about the kind of person Vicky is, would she really put up with shit like this if she wasn't super invested in Kate?"

"I guess not," Max agreed. "I just...hope it works out with no one getting hurt." She sighed and glanced at the bottle sitting at Chloe's feet. "How much is left?"

"Um," she reached down and grabbed it, giving it a gentle shake. "Enough, I guess."

"Enough for what?" Max asked. Chloe twisted her head, cracking her neck. She smiled.

"Enough for me to do this, sucka!" She brought the bottle to her lips, tilting her head back as she drank. She let out an exaggerated 'ahhh' as she finished it.

"Well, that wasn't very chivalrous." Max pouted, pushing Chloe's shoulder. "I'm officially cross with you."

"Oh really?" Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Then I guess you don't want any of this," she said, leaning sideways off the bed and digging through her bag. She brought out another bottle of wine.

"I uh, I'm uncrossed, I've just realized." Max bared her teeth awkwardly and shrugged.

_Fuck, foiled by my own sarcasm!_

"Oh, sorry." The blue haired girl waved her hand. "This was for me to share with my very agreeable, very kind and _very_ sexy girlfriend but I can't seem to find her." She brought a hand to her forehead as if shielding the sun and slowly scanned the room.

"Okay, smartass," Max laughed, lightly slapping the punk's leg. "Please share?"

"Oooh, I like when you beg," Chloe said cheerily, wiggling her shoulders. "But alas, it looks like I'll be the only one indulging in this beautiful, old fruit juice."

_Hmph, okay then, you butthead._

"You know what? Fine, what-fucking-ever!" Max feigned anger, throwing her hands in the air. "That shit's only been aged for two hundred years, that's pussy shit." She broke character for a moment, giggling when Chloe opened her mouth in shock. "Yeah, I said it, what you gonna do about it?" She poked the girl in the chest. "Someday I'll be chilling with Dionysus while you're stuck with all the little people." She scoffed. "Two hundred years, that's ridiculous. That's basically water!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Chloe waved the bottle around. "Jesus Christ, I'm sorry! You can have some!" She grumbled as she tore the plastic from the rim. "Chillin' with Dionysus without me, what the fuck, man." She threw the plastic onto the floor, sighing with mock bitterness. "Probably hurt the wine's feelings, Max, poor thing is trying as hard as it..." She stopped talking as she felt Max's hand slip under her shirt.

"Hey..." Max said quietly, leaning in toward Chloe. "You have wine on your shirt..." The punk glanced down at it, a grin blooming in her cheeks.

"You know...I've actually been waiting for you to pounce on that." She set the bottle back down on the floor.

"Well then you are very patient," Max whispered, slowly pulling Chloe's shirt upward. "Funnily enough, I've been waiting all day to pounce on you." Chloe's eyes went wide as she blushed.

_Aha! Yes, I'm getting so much better at this._

"Wait, wait," Chloe protested, sliding out of Max's grip. The brunette pouted, a small tinge of anxiety prodding her chest.

_Did...did I do something wrong?_

"No, don't pout, I just gotta lock the door." Chloe quickly pulled one of Max's hands to her lips, then skirted away to the door, locking it excitedly. She turned back to face Max, eagerly wiggling her fingers. "Well, Max, about that wine..." She tugged her shirt off and threw it toward her hamper. She brought her index finger to her chin as she thought. "I think I'm a little bit buzzed," she admitted. "You know what that means?"

"Actually no," Max giggled as she shrugged. "You have to pee?"

"Nope! I...wait, do I?" She furrowed her brow as she began hopping up and down. "Nope, don't have to pee. But, um..." She reached for the button of her jeans, undoing it and then the zipper. She shook her hips slowly, letting her pants slide around her ankles. "Would you maybe be interested in a show, darling?" Her voice was low and silky. She stepped out of her jeans and stalked toward Max. The brunette's heart sped up as excitement crept through her bones. "I can guarantee you the best seat in the house, if you need persuasion."

"I'm in the mood for a show, I think," Max managed to stutter. She quickly finished off her glass then smiled. "What's it...uh, what's it rated?"

_Please be R, please be R, please be R!_

Chloe smirked as she gently pushed Max onto her back. She straddled her, taking off her bra and dropping it onto the brunette's face. She bent down, tracing kisses from Max's neck to her ear. Slowly, she sucked on her earlobe, causing the girl to shudder.

"Well," she whispered into her ear, giggling in a heavenly way, "let's just say it has _not_ been approved for all audiences."


	26. The Exorcism Of Maxine Caulfield

" _In December, drinkin' horchata..._ "Max sang as she gleefully pranced in circles around Chloe. The hood of her parka bobbed up and down with each hop. She leaped into the air, stomping down right in front of the punk. " _I'd look psychotic in a balaclava!_ "

"Is that your official theme for December?" Chloe asked, smirking at the fidgeting girl in front of her.

"Yeah man!" She shouted as she began to skip again. "Every month should have a theme song! Like wrestlers do!"

"Hard to imagine the abstract concept of months beating each other over the head with metal chairs, though," Chloe added, continuing to walk down the street. Max seemed to orbit her, continuing in an energetic circle around the blue haired girl. Chloe eyed the girl's beanie, giggling to herself. "You know, with the hat _and_ the hood _and_ the necklace, you look like a super thugged out rapper. Like, MC MC." She recoiled at her own brilliance. "Holy shit, dude," she laughed. "You have to _pay_ me for that one."

_I could so be a rapper. Aw yussss._

"Gimme a beat," Max demanded, her smiling cheeks pink from the cold.

"Not gonna happen," Chloe said, flitting her hand in the air. "I don't have the chops for beatboxing. Believe me, I've tried."

"Fine, whatever," Max said as she disappeared from Chloe's vision. "I'll rock it a capella. Yo, my name is Maxine and I'm a dork." The punk stopped, grinning as Max slid in front of her. "I like to eat many foods with forks!" She disappeared again. "And sometimes forks are made of plastic," she said, her rhythm absolutely garbage. "If I don't stop dancing I'm gonna be sick!" She finally stopped in front of Chloe, doubled over as she gasped for breath. "I am out of shape," she complained. "Hoooo boy, I am out of shape."

"Sorry, babe," Chloe said, rubbing her hand on Max's back. "For what it's worth, that was the worst rap I've ever heard."

"Yeah, thanks," she said, waving her hand. "I did that on purpose."

"And for what it's worth a second time..." Chloe gestured to the building in front of them. "We're here, so you get to chill for a second."

"This place is new?" Max asked as she stood up straight.

"I mean, new since you left five years ago, yeah. It's where I buy all my music." She placed a cigarette between her lips and lit it. "It's pretty cool, I know the owner. Total retro, Robert Plant lookin' motherfucker."

"How come you don't put any music on your phone or just get an iPod?" Max asked, scratching her hair through her beanie. "Join the modern era, yo."

"The last iPod I owned was like, the original shuffle and that thing is long dead. And I guess with my phone, just never got around to it." She took a deep drag and tilted her head, exhaling away from Max. "Besides, I like CDs. They make me feel nostalgic. Even peeling off that annoying white strip at the top has a certain fuzziness to it."

"Uh huh," Max giggled. "And I'm sure you miss that clusterfuck AOL sign in noise followed by 'you've got mail!'"

_Or that sad sound of the door slamming when Chloe signed off. Hmm._

"In a way, I do kinda," Chloe snickered. "I mean, I'd never go back, but little dumb shit like that defined eras of our lives. There will always be something charming about them." Max dug through her bag for a moment, producing her camera.

"Yeah, that's true," she said, holding it out to Chloe. "It's like me using an instant instead of digital. It just has that certain...je ne sais quoi, you know?" She held it high above her head and made a serious face, throwing up a peace sign as she took the photo.

"Now who's speaking French?" Chloe laughed, poking the smaller girl in the side. "Is that your album cover?" She dropped the cigarette on the ground, stomping on it and twisting her foot.

_Chlo, I wish you wouldn't litter. Baby steps, I guess._

"That's what I'm going for, yeah," she quietly giggled. "I kind of just want to have the fucking _filthiest_ beats but with lyrical content on par with Sesame Street."

"Well, there's a market for everything," Chloe replied, wrapping an arm around Max. The brunette grinned and held the camera out, quickly snagging a photo of the two of them. The punk smiled, leaning down to kiss Max on the temple. "You taking pictures of me so much is giving me kind of a complex, I think. Might just fall into the next pond and drown trying to get at my reflection."

"That makes me happy to hear," Max said, beaming at the taller girl as she whipped the Polaroid around. "You absolutely deserve to know how beautiful you are." She felt a hand tug on her hood, pulling it down over her eyes. "Hey! It got dark!"

"Stop bein' so cute," Chloe said. "You're on cute timeout."

"That's not even a thing," Max mumbled, readjusting her hood. "You can't just create new timeouts. There's a system!"

_THESE CHAINS CAN'T HOLD ME_

"I can do whatever I please, ya little dork." Chloe poked her in the side, causing her to yelp and giggle. "Come on, let's go look at some music. I'll buy you an album or two."

"Sugar Momma," the brunette said, returning the poke.

Once in the store, Max's eyes lit up as she unleashed a playful 'oooooh!' She removed her hood and gently tugged Chloe's sleeve.

"Or three," she said. The blue haired girl rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Or three, sure." She dipped her hands into her front pockets, swaying side to side as she looked around. "So, Maximo, where to first?"

"Pussy banjo strumming, duh," Max said, gripping the girl's wrist and pulling her along.

"It's really my fault for expecting anything different," Chloe added with snark.

Max methodically scanned the rows of CDs, occasionally making small 'hm's' and 'huh's.' Chloe waltzed around behind her, feeling a simple joy at the girl's intense interest. Grinning, she quickly grabbed Max's ass, making a quiet 'honk!' sound.

"Hey!" Max whipped around as she furrowed her brow. "What you doin'?"

"Couldn't resist," the taller girl replied with a shrug. In return, Max playfully shook her butt.

"Oh man!" Max's eyes went wide. "The new River City Extension album!" She plucked it from the row and examined it, smiling to herself. She held it out for Chloe to see. "I've been wanting this forever! Definitely one of those that you need a physical copy of." She tucked it under her arm happily.

"Weren't you _just_ giving me shit for only buying physical music?" Chloe laughed, placing a hand on her hip. "Somebody's a hypocrite."

"Well, maybe a teensy," Max admitted with a toothy smile. "You'd love these guys," she said, turning back to the CDs. "They're like a nine person band with violins, trumpets, all kinds of crazy shit."

"So, Reel Big Fish, then," Chloe snarked. Max glanced back in offense.

"No, not like Reel Big Fish! These guys are way folksy but with transgressive, punk lyrics." She dangled the album left and right. "Trust me, you'll love them. I'll play them in the truck!"

_Chloe will totally love them if I know that big, blue brain of hers._

True to her demands, Max found two more CDs she wanted. With each one, she turned to Chloe, excitedly showing her the cover and going on a long tangent about _why_ they were so good. For the punk's part, she rolled her eyes, acting nonchalant despite loving the girl's enthusiasm. As the two walked further into the store, they reached the vinyl section.

"Holy. Shit." Max squeaked, flinging herself against the glass case. She pressed her palms and nose into the glass, fogging it up as she breathed. Inside the case were several vinyl record players, though she was clearly focusing on a particular one. She glanced back at Chloe, breathing quickly in a dramatic fashion.

"Yanno," Chloe mused as she wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, "maybe smoking before we came here was not the correct choice."

"I'm just playin' it up," Max admitted. She tapped on the glass. "But look at that, one of those cool digital vinyl players." Chloe bent down to check it out with her. "It's got a USB so you can connect it to your laptop and digitize your records? So cool, right? I mean, even if the sound quality during the transfer is debatable, it's a great option to have." She turned to Chloe. "I've always wanted one of these."

"I'm kind of surprised you don't have one already," the punk said as she looked it over. "Vinyl is hot shit these days. Thought every good, little hipster child was growing their collection?"

"Yeeeah." Max sighed. "I kinda fell behind on that one..." She let go of a tiny pout, turning to evaluate the wall of records. She tapped her fingers against the plastic CD cases in her hands.

"Well..." Chloe said coolly, twisting a finger with the brunette's locks. "I mean, want it?" Max looked at her in shock, then back at the player.

"Chloe, it's almost three hundred dollars! I'm not letting you spend that much on me, dude." She smiled warmly and held out her CDs. "Besides, I got my three just like ya promised, Sugar Momma." She poked the glass. "I'll get one someday, but not today."

_Maybe by the time I get one they'll be out of style again and I can be the hipster queen, muahahaha._

"Okay, baby," Chloe snickered, planting a kiss on Max's head. The girl snuggled into Chloe, burrowing her face into the punk's cleavage. "Searchin' for treasure?" Chloe asked with a laugh as she quickly rubbed the girl's back.

"Snorkelin' for boobage," Max mumbled.

"Hey, Little Price! You gonna actually buy somethin' or just use my shop as a makeout parlor?" The man at the counter briefly swept a hand through his long beard in thought. "That might be a successful business idea, actually." Max recoiled in embarrassment, quickly taking several steps away from Chloe as she shielded her face with her CDs.

"Er, yeah, sorry, Ralph! Give us one second!" The man lazily waved to her before diverting his attention to a Gameboy Color in his hands. Chloe wrapped an arm around Max and winked as she directed them toward the counter.

_Well, that was embarrassing. But I bet Chloe loved it._

"Lovely as ever!" The man proclaimed with his hands high in the air, looking Chloe up and down. "What can I do for my favorite customer?" Chloe wasn't lying about the rock 'n roll vibe coming off the man. He had long, silver hair and an equally impressive beard with thick, straight out of the 70's glasses. Max carefully set her CDs on the counter.

"Well, since I have some cash from the Two Whales, figured I'd pop in and get a little somethin', somethin' for my babydoll here." She weakly flitted a hand against Max's cheeks.

"Righteous," he said with a grin and half-lidded eyes. He scooped up the CDs and looked Max over. "Hey, uh, you seem pretty familiar, man."

"Oh!" Chloe shouted. "Shit, I didn't even think of that. You guys might have actually met before! Max," she said, turning toward the girl. "Ralph here used to be buddies with my dad. They worked together. I'm sure you crossed paths once or twice back in the day." She glanced at him sideways and smirked. "Ralph went MIA from his job sometime after dad died, rediscovered marijuana and LSD and opened up his own record shop." She pointed at the man. "That about cover it?"

"You leave a lot of illegal activities out, but yeah, I suppose that about covers it." He laughed as he held a hand out to Max. "Nice to possibly meet you again, young lady."

"Likewise," she said, bowing a little. "I love your store. It gives me that cozy, warm feeling."

"I'll take that compliment," he said with a smile. "Makes me feel better about the heater bein' on the fritz."

Once back outside, Max gleefully waved the plastic bag in Chloe's face.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she cooed, rocking her hips left and right. "Now I'm gonna Clockwork Orange you with music."

"Huh," Chloe said as she narrowed her eyes. "So instead of Beethoven, indie rock is gonna make me burp like crazy?"

"Awww yes," Max said, bopping the girl's nose with her palm. "A cacophony of belches."

"Now _that's_ a band name." The punk quickly whacked her pockets before groaning. "Fuck, left my wallet in there I think. Wait out here, okay? Keep doin' your little dance."

"Okay, but I'll miss you soooooo much." Max blew a kiss at Chloe, then winced. "Too much?"

"No way, man," the blue haired girl said over her shoulder as she walked back inside. "I'll miss you more."

_Impossible._

"Impossible!" Max yelled, deciding to make her thoughts known.

* * *

Max eagerly tore the plastic off of her CD, kicking her feet in excitement. She cracked it open, taking the disc out and sliding it into the player.

"You're gonna love these guys," she said confidently.

"We'll see about that, Caulfield," Chloe teased. "So...I kind of had an idea for something to do, if you'd be so kind as to indulge."

"Mmn, sure," Max said, twisting the knob to the radio. "It's a fun, lazy day, so we can just do whatever." Her eyes lit up as the music began to leak through the speakers. "Oh, but definitely nosh at some point. I'm starting to get a little hungz."

"Well, I'm not going to fucking let you starve. Jesus, what kind of mistress would I be then?"

"Mistress?" Max asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Mistress Price sounds badass, don't it? I'm still deciding on whether or not I want to do the whole leather thing. I feel like it's too easy to mess up and look like a Matrix extra." She drummed her thumb against the steering wheel, smiling to herself as she talked.

_More like Chloe in a Black Cat costume. Meow!_

"You're actually crazy, you know that?" Max asked, leaning over and nuzzling her nose against Chloe's arm.

"Yep, yep, insane in the brain," she barked back proudly. "Ooooh," she said playfully, turning the knob of the radio louder. "I can dig this."

_Yes! I knew she'd like it!_

The ride was silent for a while as the music filled in the space of dialogue. Max carefully watched Chloe, relishing any small hints that the punk was enjoying the music. Max had always found that sharing music was one of the most intimate things two people could do, as songs often conveyed emotions that people like her were too clumsy to express. Finding someone else who could listen to a song and say 'I totally get it' always felt a lot like getting to know that person that much more. And with Chloe, Max wanted to know every detail. However, because she was so distracted, they were practically at their destination before she realized where they were going. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Chlo..." Max groaned, nervously wiping at her eye. "Why are we going to the junkyard? We didn't exactly have the best experiences there..." A quick collage of images splattered against her mind: Jefferson, Rachel, Frank, the train...

"I know, Max." Her voice was heavy. "I just want to look around one last time. If...if it's too hard for you, you could stay in the truck? Just knowing you're here is enough for me."

"No, I'll go with you," she said quietly. "This place kind of sucks," she said as they pulled in through the gate.

"Yeah, not much of a hideout anymore, huh?" Chloe asked as she threw the truck in park. They were quiet for a moment, as if neither wanted to be the first to get out of the truck. Finally, Chloe rolled her eyes, throwing the door open. Max followed suit, sliding out of the truck. She shivered in the cold air, pulling her hood up. Chloe slowly scanned the area, plucking a cigarette from its pack and placing it between her lips.

"If nothing else," Max said with a smile, wrapping her arm together with Chloe's, "I did take some cool shots here before." Chloe turned to her and allowed herself a small chuckle.

"Well, good, baby." She began to walk, keeping Max close to her. "I just want to check out the clubhouse, then we can leave..." Max nodded as they continued, finally reaching the dilapidated structure. Chloe ducked inside and immediately frowned. "They took everything," she said.

Max walked to the center of the room and slowly spun, seeing that aside from the graffiti, everything had indeed been taken, presumably as evidence when Rachel's body had been discovered. She was struck with a melancholic feeling, similar to the one she experienced when she entered the Alternate Chloe's bedroom. She sighed as she read the graffiti, messages that seemed so playful at face value, but sad and desperate once you knew the truth.

"Nothing gold can stay..." Max said quietly. She regarded her girlfriend. "I'm sorry, boo."

"It's kind of what I was expecting," the punk said thoughtfully, dragging her fingertips over the the 'LALALAND THIS WAY' paint. "Just been bothering me lately, dunno why. Thinking about all the shit I had in here..." She turned toward the 'Chloe was here...' message and sighed, her shoulders sinking. "I just kept thinking it'd be like a snow globe," she said, leaning against the wall. "That maybe it'd be preserved forever as this fun, little area where Rach and I went to escape our problems." She took a drag of her cigarette, closing her eyes as she cherished the nicotine.

"Well, it still is in there," Max said, poking the blue haired girl in the chest. Chloe's eyes blinked open as she looked down at Max's finger. "Nothing can change that, right?"

_That sounded a little too hippie dippie._

"Guess not." The punk smirked, standing up straight. She leaned through the window, looking to the left and right. "This place is just a cluster of shitty memories now, though..." She eyed the train tracks, working her bottom lip between her teeth in thought. "Well, there is one good thing still left," she said, turning to face Max.

"What's that, baby?" The brunette huddled in close, ducking under a fresh plume of smoke.

"When we were walking on the tracks, you know, after the shit with Frank happened...that's when I knew." She tenderly ran her fingers through Max's hair, her eyes faraway.

"Knew what?" She asked, cuddling in against Chloe's chest.

"That I was totally cuckoo for Max-o Puffs," she said quietly. Max gasped, moving away from the girl so she could see into her eyes.

_No way._

"Really?" Max glanced over the punk's shoulder to the train tracks, thinking of that particular memory. She'd admit that when their hands first touched, she felt a small spark in her stomach.

"Really," Chloe said, flicking her cigarette through the window. "I mean, like I've said, I was crushing on you back when we were tweens. But that day, it all came flooding back about a thousand times stronger. I, uh..." She rubbed at her neck, her cheeks growing pink. "I actually forgot about Rachel for a little while that day. Which sounds super shitty but I was just so fucking enamored with you. You have to understand," she said as she laced her fingers with Max's, "you show up, save my life with these magic powers. It was like a fucking fairy tale, I couldn't believe what was happening." She snickered, leaning down to rub noses with Max. "Like instead of princess in a tower, I was a shithead stuck in a town. That was the day, even with Frank, even with the fucking train barreling toward me, that I finally felt like everything was going to be okay. That I was finally saved, you know?" She glanced to the side and snirked. "I mean, aside from you _literally_ saving me. I guess I just mean existentially."

_Wowsers, Chlo..._

"You're such an angel," Max said, her eyes starry and intense. Chloe smiled, then dragged the girl closer by the waist, leading in to a kiss. The punk strengthened her grip, lifting Max off the ground as the girl clutched her hair, wrapping her legs around Chloe's waist. She took a step backward, her foot rolling off of something round beneath her. She fell onto her ass, 'oofing' as Max's weight landed on her hips.

"Jesus fucking ow damn shit," Chloe snarled, wincing in pain.

"Oh god, Chloe, are you okay?" Max rolled off of her lap and cupped her cheeks. "What happened? Why fell?"

"Slipped on something," she muttered as she pouted. "I think I broke my butt." Her eyes went wide. "Max!" She gripped the girl's jacket tightly, a look of crazed concern in her eyes. "I need booboo kisses on my butt!" The brunette stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"I ain't kissin' your butt in here, you doofus!" She playfully swatted at the punk's shoulder. "Are you okay or not?"

"I'm fine," she huffed. "Would be fuckin' stellar if my girlfriend cared enough about me to administer healing kisses but hey, fuck me, right?" She perked up for a moment. "Wait, in here?" Max rolled her eyes.

"You're such a brat."

"Yeah, yeah, whatev..." She trailed off as her eyes caught sight of something rolling across the floor. She lurched forward and crawled toward the object, clapping a hand down on top of it. It was a marker. "Huh," she said. "Guess they didn't get everything." She plucked it off the ground, rotating it between her fingers as she examined it. She stared up at a blank spot on the wall, determination lighting up her eyes. "They can't have it," she said, getting to her feet and strolling over to the wall.

"What do you mean?" Max asked as she followed her.

"I mean," she said, biting the cap of the marker, "the last thing that happens in this room isn't going to be the police taking all of me and Rachel's shit." She began to write in giant letters, her tongue sneaking through her teeth in a gesture of concentration. Max watched as she did, a smile growing as her message became clear. The punk nodded to herself and stepped back, surveying her handiwork. A new, huge message was stretched across the stone, one that read: **PROPERTY OF THE ARCADIA BAY PIRATES – RA, MC & CP**.

"I like it," Max said quietly, threading her fingers with the punk's. Chloe smirked as she squeezed the girl's hand.

"Good," she said. "Because it's ours now, forever."

* * *

Max opened the door to her dorm, happily squirming inside with her bag of goodies. Chloe closed the door behind her, immediately kicking off her boots.

"Interesting day," she said as she removed her coat. "Thanks for going to American Rust with me, I know it's tough. It's just been weighing lately, yanno?"

"Quite literally anything for you, gorgeous," Max said, looping her arms around the girl's neck. She pressed their noses together. "I'm glad we could address something that was bothering you."

"That's kinda your thing, ain't it?" Chloe asked as she squeezed Max's butt, prompting a small squeal. "Fixing all the broken things. World's best handyman. I'm gonna get you a mug that says that."

"You're such a dork," Max whispered, baring her teeth in her own dorky smile. She nipped at Chloe's neck. "I think I'm more like world's _most_ handsy man," she said, cupping the punk's rear. "See, look," she giggled, dragging her other hand back and forth carelessly across Chloe's breasts. "I just can't even stop it."

"Why the hell would you ever stop?" Chloe wrapped her arms around the girl's waist and hoisted her into the air. Max continued to issue small squeezes to Chloe's chest even as she was carried to the bed.

_My favorite stress balls evahhhh._

"Heh, wait," Max chuckled, kissing Chloe's ear. "Let me check my lappy for updates before we lose the rest of the day to snugs and kisses."

"Aw, fine." Chloe pouted, letting Max slide out of her grasp. The brunette sat down at her desk and brought her laptop to life. "You think your Facebook drama is more exciting than my tongue all up in that mouth of yours?"

"Oh jeez," Max sighed, turning to face her. "It's a real talent how you manage to make things sound both sexy and disgusting at the same time." She turned back to the laptop. "And I'm checking my _grades_ by the way. They should be updated." She heard Chloe mumble an apology, surely crossing her arms and pouting. Max scanned the new emails in her inbox, her brow furrowing at one of the most recent messages. "Oh shit," she said, somewhat shocked.

_Wait, what?_

"What is it?" Chloe asked, reclining onto the bed. "Did you get all the grades?" She chuckled. "Are you the principal now?"

"No..." Max said, rubbing her temples. "This email says some representative from a local university is coming next week to kind of do a sales pitch. I just, uh..." She turned back to the punk. "I kind of completely forgot about the whole college thing." She nervously tapped on the back of the chair. "Dammit," she hissed, pressing her palm into her forehead. "What am I going to do, Chlo? I kind of need to figure this out really soon." Her pulse sped up as she began to feel clammy.

"Woah, hey." Chloe lurched off of the bed and knelt down in front of Max. "It's okay! You have plenty of time to straighten it out. It's not a big deal, babe."

"It's a _huge_ deal, dude!" Max shook her head. "What am I supposed to do? I don't have a portfolio, I don't have any letters of recommendation, I don't even _have_ a photography class right now!" She huffed in frustration as she buried her head in her hands. The familiar unease of anxiety began to circulate through her. "How did I fuck up this bad? Fucking Victoria has probably sent dozens of applications by this point!" She frantically combed through her hair. "What about us?" She asked, her eyes focusing on the blue haired girl. "Chlo...what about us? If I go somewhere far away, what does that mean?"

_I can't be away from her. I won't do it._

"Sweetie, I'd come with you. You know that." She tried to slink her fingers between Max's, but the brunette pulled away in frustration.

"I feel so fucking stupid, how could I just forget about all this?" She blinked her eyes, grinding her teeth as she felt tears begin to collect.

_Calm down, Max. Just calm down._

"Babe, you've had a _lot_ going on lately. Much more important stuff than where you'll be spending the next four years. I mean," she waved her hands as she talked, "not to make light of college, it's really important and all, but you kind of just did have an extremely traumatic experience." Max just shook her head as she trembled.

"I don't know," she whispered as she sprung from the chair. She began to pace back and forth, clutching her hair as her breathing continued to quicken.

"Max..." Chloe watched her, still kneeling on the floor. She glanced around the room, searching for any way to calm her girlfriend down. This panic attack was different than her more usual ones. Sure, maybe _those_ included mystic nosebleeds, but at least Chloe had an idea of how to handle them. Now she was confused, her heart twitching as she watched Max cry and shake. She suddenly spotted a stack of index cards on the girl's desk. She rocketed to her feet, snatching up the whole pile. "Uh, Max," she said, trying to get her attention. She didn't seem to hear her. "Hey!" She said, raising her voice.

"What?!" Max asked, continuing to pace, not even glancing at the girl.

"What uh, what are your favorite filters to use to contrast each season?" Chloe furrowed her brow as she read it, mouthing 'what the fuck' to herself. Max turned to her.

"What the fuck are you _talking_ about?"

"I...I don't know!" Chloe flailed her arms. "I'm trying to help! I don't even know what this means!" She threw the card to the side. She quickly read another, then discarded that one as well. She began to read a third aloud. "Think of ten things that remind you of..." She sighed, closing her eyes with a small smile. "Chloe." Max had again seemed to fall out of contact, muttering to herself as she paced. "Max!" Chloe yelled. When the girl didn't answer, the punk bulldozed into her, straddling her and trapping her on the bed.

"Chloe, oh god, please get off of me! I can't breathe!" She squeaked.

"Ten things that remind you of me!" Chloe demanded, whipping the index card against the brunette's forehead. "What reminds you of me?!"

"I don't understand!" Max shrieked.

"Grounding! Grounding! Grounding!" Chloe repeated it as if it would make more sense the louder she got. "What reminds you of me!?"

" _ **Fucking sumo wrestlers, apparently!**_ " Max yelled, viciously shaking from side to side to throw the blue haired girl from her. "You weigh a million pounds, you fatass!" In spite of everything, with Max in clear discomfort and panic, Chloe couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Okay, that's one," she said, desperately trying to hide her laughter. "Nine more to go, Mad Max. Come on, you can do this!"

"Nails! Your fucking stupid buttons on your jeans are digging into my hips! Stupid jeans!"

_I can't breathe I can't breathe_

"Sorry!" Chloe shifted herself, but stayed on top of Max. "That's two. Come on, sweetness."

"The way cows chew their food!" Max hissed. "You chew like a farm animal!" By now, Chloe was failing tremendously at keeping her laughter in check, instead cackling like a lunatic.

"Three, okay," she said when her joy allowed her a moment to speak. "Come on, baby, you're doing great."

"Get off me!" Max growled, weakly flinging an open palm at Chloe's face. The punk leaned back, though even if it had made contact, it wouldn't have hurt. "House fires!" Max snarled. "You smell like smoke all the time!"

"I'm a fuckin' firebender, dude," Chloe quietly argued, cursing herself for giggling. "Fine, fine, I'll take it. Four." Max stopped struggling for a moment, her teary eyes glaring deep into Chloe's. She _looked_ angry, but something in her eyes betrayed it.

"Brick walls." She muttered quietly, not breaking eye contact. "You're stubborn like a brick wall."

"Five," Chloe said, taking her palms off of Max's chest. The smaller girl sighed.

"Roses," she said. "Beautiful but thorny..."

"Oooh yeah, totally," Chloe agreed, now working her fingers through Max's hair. "That's six, babe."

"The ocean. The blue. The waves. The unpredictability of it. The serenity of it..." Max whispered, snaking her hand into Chloe's.

"Seven, angel," was all Chloe could say.

"Um," Max swallowed, "the sound of rain on my window. It helps me fall asleep and...so do you..."

"Good, baby, eight. Keep going," Chloe said, lowering herself on top of the girl.

"Religion," she said and Chloe could feel her shoulders attempt a shrug. "Belief and hope, I guess. Being able to just have undeniable faith in something."

"Wow," the blue haired girl whispered, finally rolling off of Max and next to her. "Nine."

"Fairy tales," Max whispered, staring deep into Chloe's eyes. "Happily ever after." The punk sniffled, blinking away the happy tears growing. She suctioned the girl into a hug, cherishing her steady pace of breathing and non-trembling skin. Max kissed her, gently dragging her knuckles across the girl's cheek. As they broke the kiss, Chloe regarded Max proudly, leaning their foreheads together.

"Ten," she said.

* * *

"How you feelin'?" Chloe asked. Max simply stared at her, the light bleeding through the sheets pulled over their heads. They were practically smashed together, legs and arms intertwined, foreheads crammed against each other.

"Better," she said, shifting just a little closer. "What was that?"

_Felt like a nosebleed situation..._

"Well, I've got good news and bad news," Chloe said, her fingers dancing along Max's spine. "The bad news is, you had a panic attack. No es bueno. But, uh..." She wriggled closer, slipping her thigh over Max's. "But the good news is it was a _real_ panic attack. Like a normal one that people get for justifiable reasons."

"College," Max groaned, closing her eyes.

"College," Chloe agreed. "You just tried to take in too much information at once. You have plenty of time to think about this. And I'll help, of course." She kissed Max's palm.

_Of course you will. My partner in crime._

"What do you think about the future? What are your plans?" Max asked.

"Well, honestly..." The punk puckered her lips. "All I've really thought about is that I'm staying with you, wherever you go. Figured I'd get my GED and then go to the same college as you or if that's not feasible, find one close enough nearby. Or online classes, shit, I really don't care. As long as we're together."

_As long as we're together, everything will be alright._

"Do you know what you'd major in?" Max asked, blinking one eye open.

"Not a clue," she replied. "I don't really know if I'm good enough at anything to have an expertise."

"Chloe," Max said sternly, jostling the punk. "Your problem is that you're too good at _everything_ but you don't dedicate time to it. You could be the next Da Vinci."

"Having a wicked beard and getting arrested for sodomy does sound like my cup 'o tea," Chloe laughed, squirming as Max slapped her butt. "I dunno. Just haven't thought about it. I'm pretty content to stay here in the present for now after everything that happened."

"Yeah, me too," the brunette agreed. She let go of a snicker. "That was kind of like an exorcism earlier."

"The power of Chloe compels you," she growled, nibbling on the brunette's hand. "It uh, kind of goes without saying, but I'm pretty flattered that you worked me into your calm down plan."

"No idea why you're surprised at this point," Max said as she rubbed her foot along Chloe's. "I basically eat, sleep and drink Chloe Price these days." She groaned and slapped herself in the forehead. "I know, okay? I understand."

_Goddamn this mouth._

"I'm sorry but I can't let that slide," the punk giggled, rolling over on top of the girl. She took a deep breath, playfully watching as Max surrendered to the joke. "So, you say you eat me, and yet..." She pointed down at her crotch. "Where is? Where is the eats?"

"I deserve that, no question." Max quickly jolted up, kissing Chloe on the cheek. "And hey, maybe soon, huh?" She batted her lashes, giggling when Chloe blushed. "You're the living embodiment of the 'can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen' saying."

"I'm just not used to it, man," she huffed, falling flat on top of Max and causing the girl to 'oof.' "You were so timid just two months ago, now you're a compliment gunslinger. Like a cowboy."

_Sheriff Caulfield, I like the sound of that._

"I could be a cowboy," Max mused as she combed through Chloe's hair. "I mean, cool hat, you get a horse, you can spit literally anywhere and it's okay. Sounds like a sweet deal to me." The punk snuggled in, resting her cheek on Max's chest.

"I could totally get off to you in a cowboy costume, for sure," she said quietly. She grinned as she looked back up at the girl. "I could be tied to the railroad tracks and you could save me and I'd be all coy like 'oh, however could I repay you?' You'd show humility at first, sure." She traced small circles on Max's arm. "You know, you'd give me the whole 'just doin' my job, ma'am' spiel. But I'd be persistent, because I've secretly already fallen for you and I _want_ you to take me. Just go wild. Mmm, yeah." She narrowed her eyes at Max. "Too elaborate?"

"No..." Max snickered, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "You just described something that literally already happened." The punk let out a small gasp.

"Holy shit, you're right..." She sucked in air through her teeth, making a 'tsk' sound. She raised herself on her hands, hovering over the smaller girl. "So, then," she said quietly, sending out a dangerous gaze. "However could I repay you?"


	27. Behind Blue Dyes

Chloe sat in her truck, her head swaying in a metronome in accordance with the music tumbling from her speakers. She crossed her eyes, watching the single strand of smoke rise from her cigarette, following it until it collided with the roof of her truck, spreading outward before finally dissipating. She took a drag, turning to get a full view of Blackwell.

_I didn't care at the time, but man...I really wish I was still in school. Those fucking GI Joe PSA's were no joke. Oh well, I guess. At least Max is in there bustin' her ass. At least **one** of us isn't a loser._

She grinned when she finally saw Kate walking toward the car, waving her hand excitedly. She quickly ditched the cigarette, then reached over and unlocked the passenger door.

"Good morning!" Kate greeted as she climbed into the truck.

"Mornin', Pumpkin," Chloe responded, leaning over to give the girl a hug. "Thanks for hanging with me today! I'm excited to go on some badass Chloe and Kate adventures!"

"Me too!" Kate waggled her feet left and right. "Though I have to be honest, I'm kind of surprised you asked."

"How come?" The punk asked, rifling through her console for a stack of CDs.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "We've never hung out without Max around before. Just different is all!"

_True. But I'm excited to get some Kate time!_

"That's because at least part of our adventure is a secret from Max!" Chloe bundled her shoulders in delight as she wriggled her fingers. "Going to do a little bit of Christmas shopping."

"Oh gosh," Kate laughed. "I'm so bad with secrets! I think you picked the wrong girl."

"Nonsense." Chloe waved her hand dismissively. "You're the perfect girl for the job!" She handed her the stack of CDs. "Here, find something you want to listen to." She shifted into drive and slowly pulled out of the parking lot, sparing one last glance at Blackwell in the rear-view. Kate furrowed her brow as she read the discs.

"I don't really know any of these bands," she admitted. She held up a disc as a suspicious look took over her features. "This one is blank and just says 'fart butt party mix 6'?"

"Oooh, that's a good one!" Chloe flashed her a smile as the girl slid the disc into the radio.

_I think she should dig this one. Wait...this isn't the mix with Bloodhound Gang is it? Fuck, please don't be that one._

"Sooo," Chloe began, anxiously adjusting the volume on the radio, "I was thinking we could hit up your tea place, swing by the record shop for Max's gift and then maybe hit the book store?"

"That sounds fun!" Kate clapped her hands together softly. "I could always use some tea," she said with sincerity.

"Cool, cool, we can head there first. I could hella use the coffee," Chloe said.

"Hella," Kate repeated, stressing it in a 'cool' tone. She giggled. "I love that, it's so cute. I always know you're close by if I hear that."

"Uh huh," the punk laughed. "It's like my battle cry at this point. Just kind of got away from me. Though I think at this point, Max might even say it more than I do!" She chuckled at the thought.

_The singularity is upon us! Oh, the horror!_

"I guess that's just kind of what happens when you're with someone enough," Kate said. "Oooh," she pointed at the radio. "I like this. What's it called?"

"This," Chloe said, "is by The Magnetic Fields. I don't remember what the song's called, to be honest. But they're pretty cool. A total Max band, I guarantee it." She reached across and lightly slapped Kate's shoulder. "Don't tell Max I like indie music. She totally knows, but don't give her any more satisfaction."

"So many secrets!" Kate laughed, clapping her hands to her cheeks. "I've only been with you for a few minutes and already you've got me in a fit of rebellion." Chloe cackled at that. "But seriously, I really like this. I could see this as drawing music."

"Oooh yeah, that's right." Chloe smiled. "Max says you're dang amazeballs at drawing. I'd love to see some sometime."

"I'm...I'm not _that_ good," Kate said, blushing a little. "I mostly draw simple, cartoony stuff."

"I love cartoons, man," the punk replied. "I was actually watching an old episode Gargoyles this morning on one of those weird incarnations of the Disney Channel."

_Oh, Goliath. The confusing feelings you gave me as a child._

"Mmn." Kate shook her head. "I've never seen it. I actually wasn't really allowed to watch cartoons growing up. Only occasionally, I could sneak them at my babysitter's."

"What!?" Chloe shot her an incredulous look. "Kate, that sucks a big dick." She laughed when Kate turned red. "Seriously, we should have like, cartoon nights. That'd be so fun! We could just marathon all of Adventure Time. You would _love_ it." She quickly glanced in the mirror, baring her teeth to make sure they were clean. "There's this character named Marceline who's basically my role model."

"All I know about Adventure Time is that you're supposed to be high to watch it," Kate replied.

"No way, man. It's perfectly awesome for sober minds! It's complex as shit too. Though, in the interest of honesty, I have watched more than my fair share of episodes while torched." She thought for a moment. "Would you ever get high?"

"Oh! Oh! I...I don't think so. It sounds scary." Kate waved at her neck as she blushed. "I don't even really like taking Tylenol."

"Hm, that's a shame." Chloe turned to her and winked. "I'd love to see a high as a kite Kate Marsh."

* * *

"So," Chloe said as she sat down at the small table, "how's school going?"

"It's going well!" Kate offered a warm smile before pouting. "Actually, I kind of hate math class. I always feel one step behind."

"Yeah, that's the tricky thing about math. Everything you learn depends on the thing you learned just before it, so it's stacking information. So, if you have trouble with one layer, the rest is going to fall down. Kinda like Jenga." She popped the lid off of her coffee and swirled the stir around. "I liked math because it was always like a puzzle. I've always been interested in figuring out _why_ things work the way they do, yanno?" Kate eyed her suspiciously.

"Um, I'm sorry if this is too personal, but uh...how come you don't go to Blackwell anymore?" She bowed her head sheepishly, as if offering her neck in sacrifice.

_Oooh, curious Kate. I think I can spin this._

"I will answer," Chloe said, pointing the stir at the blonde, "if you allow me to ask you a personal question back." She licked the stir before tossing it on the table. Kate just nodded slowly. "Well, me and Max were the best of pals when we were kids. Then five years ago, my dad died and she had to move away. Both happened so quickly that I kind of just lost it."

"Oh gosh, Chloe, I'm so sorry. I didn't know that," Kate yelped, holding her balled up hands to her mouth.

"It's fine, Kate. But then my mom got remarried to David Madsen, whom you're well acquainted with. I kind of just submerged myself in rebellion. Petty crimes, drugs, you know the deal. Anyway, I stopped giving a shit about my grades and would intentionally antagonize the teachers. Skipped class a bunch. Never did any work. Eventually, they just got sick of me and kicked me out!" She clapped her hands together with finality.

"Do you...regret it?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, now I do. I actually have a life again so it's kind of a bummer that it ended up the way it did. But I'll get into college eventually." She tapped her finger on the table, eying Kate with curiosity. "Okay, so now it's my turn to ask you a question."

"Shoot," Kate replied playfully.

_Oh, I'm gonna._

"How do you really feel about Max and me as a couple?" Chloe let out a 'ha!' when the girl showed immediate discomfort. "Okay, tell you what, if it bothers you to talk about it, you don't have to. I was just curious is all."

"No, no, it's fine." She shook her head. "Um, questioning the Bible is still kind of a new activity for me. It sounds silly, but it's really kind of scary." She looked uncertain, then shrugged. "I don't know. Max has always been so nice to me. Then _you've_ always been so nice to me. I don't know how I'm supposed to ignore that and just say you guys are bad people. It just...doesn't make sense? If you guys love each other, than why shouldn't you be together?" She let out the tiniest giggle. "I'm having a bit of an existential crisis these days, I guess."

_Aw, the poor thing. She's in good company._

"Welp," Chloe said, raising her cup in a gesture of cheers, "join the club, dear. I think the old folks call it growing up."

"To growing up and being awfully confused!" Kate cheered in reply, dashing her cup against the punk's. She smiled and took a sip.

"So, what about you, then?" Chloe asked. "Fancy anyone these days? Lookin' to stockpile any sins you'd like to repent later?" Kate sputtered a cough, sending out a mist of tea.

"Oh gosh, no! I haven't even had time to think about boys. School has been crazy! Add that to, um, everything else that happened recently..." She glanced to the side and blushed. "I also don't think anyone would like me, anyway. I think the faith thing might be a red flag for people."

_Don't mention Victoria. Don't mention Victoria. Doooooon't...but I wanna! But no. None of my business._

"Well, that last part was dumb," Chloe said as she pointed at the girl. "You're a total cutie. Trust me, I'm sure there are plenty of people at Blackwell pining over little Miss Marsh." She chuckled. "You know, actually, the religion thing is a pretty big fetish so..." Her voice screeched to a halt as Kate's face contorted in disgust. "You know what, nevermind!" Chloe laughed, waving her hand. "Forget I said anything. Ever. All the words."

"I'll try," Kate giggled. "I'm almost finished my tea! What do you want to do next?"

_Get high. Play Pikmin. Spelunk between Max's thighs._

"Er...next we shall pick up Max's gift! Should be a quick stop, I sneakily told the owner to hold it for me yesterday." She moved her arms around mystically. "I am a magician."

"That's very exciting," the blonde noted. "Can you draw a rabbit out of a hat? I think Alice is lonely."

"I'm afraid not. It's against the Oregon Fish and Game code. Not allowed to materialize organic beings out of thin air. Total buzzkill." Chloe stood from the table and stretched her arms. "So, after we get Max's present, we can go to that bookstore. Sound fun?"

"Sounds _hella_ fun," Kate corrected as she slung her bag over her shoulder. She snickered into her hand. "Sorry, I wanted to try it out." Chloe smirked and wrapped an arm around the blonde's shoulders.

"Fits you perfectly, Kate."

* * *

"Oh no!" Kate's eyes went wide as she checked her phone. "Max texted me but it was on silent! What do I tell her!? I'm so bad at lying!"

"Don't lie," Chloe said coolly. "Just don't provide _all_ the information. Tell her we went to get tea and books."

"Yes, sensei," Kate said reverently as she typed back. She glanced through the windshield. "We're almost back at Blackwell anyways, I'll tell her we'll meet her."

"Sounds like a plizzity-plan," the punk replied. "Hope she likes the book I got her!"

"Oh, yeah! Thank you so much for this!" She held up a paperback book. "It looks, um, interesting to say the least...?"

"To be completely honest with you, Kate, you're probably going to hate it," she laughed. "But! It's one of my favorites, and even if you don't like it, I like sharing stuff with the people I care about." Kate 'hmm'd,' then smiled.

"That's very sweet of you. I'll try extra hard to like it, in that case!" She looked over the book. "Survivor...well, it's a positive title!"

_Sure, Pumpkin...just be happy I didn't get you Haunted._

As the girls pulled into the parking lot, Chloe spotted Max and Warren sitting on the steps. Max seemed to be trying her hardest to maintain a grumpy expression, glaring through the windshield at the punk.

_Babe, I know you're tryin' but you just look adorable._

"Hey guys," Warren greeted, waving at them as they got out of the truck. In his other hand, he held a 3DS.

"Hello, Kate," Max said, dramatically angling her face away from Chloe.

"You ignoring me?" Chloe asked with a smirk, digging into her pocket for her pack of cigarettes.

"Warren, do you hear something?" Max asked him. He looked up from the screen, smacking his lips dryly.

"Yes, your girlfriend," he said, pointing the device at Chloe.

"Dude," she said, pushing his shoulder, "you're supposed to play along!" She looked at Chloe and smiled. "Hey, gorgeous. C'mere!" She held her arms out invitingly.

_Mmn, now that looks a lot like home._

Chloe knelt on the step in front of Max and snuggled into her, reaching around the girl's back to pull the unlit cigarette from her lips. Kate slowly pulled herself up onto the ledge next to the stairs, patting her skirt to remove any dirt. She playfully bopped Warren on the head, prompting a grunt from the boy.

"So, you two went on a big adventure without me, huh?" Max asked, slinking her legs around Chloe as the blue haired girl sat on the step with her back toward her, reclining into the girl's arms.

"You were in class and I was bored." Chloe pouted, tapping the back of her head to Max's chin. "And our little bunny friend was kind enough to entertain me!" She noticed Kate have a momentary bout of worry, but squandered it and nodded happily. The punk lazily threw an arm to her side, casually pulling the 3DS from Warren's hands. "Hey Wah-Ren, whatcha playin'?" She brought it into her lap and started mindlessly jostling the controls.

"Fire Emblem..." He puffed out his bottom lip. "Please do not kill my characters. I will cry on you."

"Oooh, delicious tears!" She tucked the unlit cigarette behind her ear and nibbled her lip. "I need to get one of these things for when work is slow." She flipped the switch on the side, gasping when the 3D activated. "The fuck witchcraft is this, yo?" Chloe waved the handheld at Warren. "Yo, the fuck is this?"

"It's _called_ a 3DS, dude," Max said, meticulously combing through the punk's blue hair. "Emphasis on the 3D."

"Fuckin' cool," Chloe muttered as she handed it back to Warren.

_Want one so bad!_

"There you guys are," Victoria huffed as she plopped between Max and Warren, her shoulders digging into each of them. "Tay and Courtney are fighting about some dumb shit." She brought a blue, ornate rod to her lips and pressed a button, inhaling as it lit up. "What're you dorks up to?"

_Of fucking **course** she vapes! Hahaha. Picture perfect stereotype. Oh...uh, glass houses, Chloe._

"Not really anything," Kate said as she gently swung her feet. "We all just kind of mushed together here a few minutes ago." She thought for a moment. "Are Taylor and Courtney going to be okay? I don't want them to fight."

"They'll be fine," Victoria assured as a milky plume of smoke leaked from her lips. "Dunno if it's boy shit or school shit or whatever, but they bicker pretty frequently then make up in about an hour. Just didn't want to listen to it." She leaned over to Warren. "Oh, do you have the new Pokemon? I don't have anyone to trade with."

"I'm sorry, _what?_ " He asked, clapping the device closed. "I didn't even know you played games."

"Bitch, I am actually a Pokemon Master," she muffled smugly as she took another drag of her pen. "Though it's been a bit more difficult lately since my right hand is still pretty much useless." She slowly waved her cast at the boy.

"Everything I know is a lie," he replied quietly, his brow furrowed. Chloe snickered, tilting her head back so she could see Max.

"Hey, I bought you a book," she said with a big smile. "The Kama Sutra!" Both Max and Victoria groaned simultaneously. The brunette placed her palm on Chloe's face as she rolled her eyes, as if summoning the truth through touch. "Kay, fine, it's not the Kama Sutra. It's about photography shit, trying to capture the essence of emotion. Thought you'd like it."

_What a buncha fuckin' spoilsports._

"Ooooh!" Max cooed excitedly. "That sounds interesting! Thanks, baby." She bent down to give the girl a kiss. She looked up at the sun, still shining brightly through the cold day. "I'ma take a photo now," she declared, wriggling to her feet and jogging down the steps. She turned around to the group and pointed. "Can you guys stand together over there?" She was less than enthralled when Kate was the only one to immediately move. "You guys are assholes," she said with a pout.

"I'm not fit for photos at the moment," Victoria complained as she pointed to her face. By now, Warren had stumbled to his feet and wandered over to where Kate was standing.

"C'mon, Vicky," Chloe droned as she sprung from the step. She gripped the girl by her bicep and pulled her with her. The blonde huffed, but complied.

"Okay, so you guys just squish together right there," Max said, conducting the group with her hand. Chloe stood on the far left as she draped an arm over Warren's shoulders. Kate stood next to him, with Victoria on the far right. "I just, um," Max said quietly, "I want a picture of my friends."

"Friends!" Kate exclaimed, waving her hands in a silly manner.

_See, look at you, Max. I don't know why you were ever so nervous about making friends. Shit, you could get half of Blackwell into this picture. I'm proud of you, baby._

"Chlo, look at the camera!" Max snipped. The punk jolted her head, realizing she'd been staring just off center.

"Bite me," she replied. Max looked through the viewfinder, a small but powerful smile peeking from beneath the camera. She brought in a slow breath and took the picture. Grinning proudly, she whipped the Polaroid around, her eyes scanning over the lineup of people.

"I'm really happy," Max said bashfully, almost as if it wasn't meant to be out loud. She looked over the photograph and nodded to herself, then walked over to the others to show them.

"Not bad," Victoria said, playfully turning her nose up. "Maybe selfies aren't the only thing you can manage." The brunette scowled at her, offering a 'har har.'

"Man," Warren grumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not trying to be like, pervy or inappropriate, but it kind of sucks being by _far_ the least attractive person in a picture."

"Oh shush, you're very handsome," Kate said, patting his shoulder in the most motherly fashion possible. She giggled when Warren scrunched his nose at her. "It's a very good photo, Max! What are you going to call it?"

"Oh, um, I don't usually title my work. Let's see..." She held the photograph up, glancing from it to group and back again. "I shall call it...Three People Who Were Clearly Uninterested in Being Photographed and Also a Kate."

"Christ, sounds like a Panic! At the Disco song," Chloe laughed, swooping forward to encase Max in a hug. She quickly looked behind her, then leaned in to whisper into the girl's ear. "You know, the 'bite me' thing was actually a sincere suggestion." Max let out a 'ha!' and peered over Chloe's shoulder.

"Welp, gotta run, guys," she said as Chloe gleefully pranced up the steps. "Gotta go do a...thing. It's uh, you know, important or whatever..."

"Why are you even trying to lie to them?!" Chloe screeched from the top of the staircase. "Guys," she said, pointing to Warren, Kate and Victoria, "Max and me are gonna go make out. Gonna be super hot. We get puh-retty crazy. Looks like a Super Soaker fight." Max was squeaking in embarrassment with every word, pulling her hood tightly over her head as she slowly ascended the stairs. "So, we'll catch you later!" The blue haired girl waved excitedly.

"Have fun!" Kate said, waving back as Warren and Victoria exchanged a look of horror.

* * *

"Get off your knees, Max. You're blowin' the game," Chloe snarked, resting her head on Max's shoulder as she cradled her from behind. She pressed her lips against Max's neck and blew a loud raspberry, causing the girl to shriek in laughter. The brunette's finger spasmed, missing her phone screen and leaving multiple fruits uncut as they fell. She lifted her feet up, then brought them down on the mattress in a mock tantrum.

"I can't be a fruit ninja if you're tickling me!" She complained with a smile, shifting herself deeper into Chloe's lap. "I hate that the high score on my own damn phone isn't even mine."

"Mmn, yeah, I just kind of really hate fruit. Can't trust 'em," Chloe muttered into her neck, sending a shiver through Max's spine. She felt a hand scoop through her hair and purred happily, nuzzling her cheek into the girl.

_And she'll never find out that I used all the power ups._

"So, hey, I talked to my parents today," Max said, turning around on her knees to face the punk. "About the college thing. Just to get their take."

"Oh?" Chloe constricted her legs, pulling Max closer. "And what did the Caulfields have to say?"

"Just a lot of flowery support, mostly." She shrugged. "But my dad did bring up the possibility of a gap year."

_Holy shit, if Max took a year off... Dude! That would be so fun! We could do anything!_

"I'm not going to rush into any decisions," Max said, "but I definitely don't hate the idea. Just like a breather, yanno?" She turned to face the photo collage on the wall, sighing somberly. "The rumors are that after winter break, there'll be a new photography teacher. Is it totally shitty of me to say that school feels like a huge waste since I can't even participate in the thing I came here for?"

"That sounds pretty reasonable to me," Chloe said. "I mean, I of course want you to get the best grades you can. But genuine interest is a whole different thing. Why should you care about fuckin', I dunno, gym class if you're a photographer?"

"Man, I hate gym," Max groaned. "We had to run laps a few weeks ago and I was totally spent halfway through the second one!"

"Remember dodgeball in grade school though? _That_ was fuckin' fun!"

"No it wasn't!" Max scoffed. "If I remember correctly, every single time we played you just focused on me!"

_Doesn't seem much different than now, does it?_

"That's why it was so fun," the blue haired girl responded. "That unmistakable sound of a rubber ball thunking off of your face! Good times, man."

"Oh screw you, dude." Max pounced on top of her, holding her down against the sheets.

_I swear to god she fucking snail mails me these opportunities._

"That uh..." Chloe grunted through the pressure the girl was putting on her. "That a suggestion or what?" The brunette narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

"You think you're _so_ fucking slick and cunning, don't you? With your sassy words?"

_Hahaha oh my god are you serious._

"Yes," Chloe replied. "Yes, I do think I'm a cunning linguist."

* * *

"I'm home," Chloe called as entered the house. Even small things like that were still surprising her – she _knew_ her mother wasn't home, so she was going out of her way to greet David. She found him in the living room watching TV, nursing a bottle of beer. He turned to her and smiled bigger than he probably had meant to.

_I wish he'd smile more, it actually suits him. Then again...I guess he IS smiling more._

"Hey Chloe," he said. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" She replied cheerily. She flopped onto the couch next to him and threw her feet up on the table. "I was productive today in my own little way. Got Max a Christmas present. A vinyl record player, if you can believe that." She dug through her pocket and pulled out the receipt, looking it over with amusement. "Pricy little thing."

"Vinyl?" He asked. "I thought everything was digital now."

"Yeah, but kids today are pretty snobby about their music. They say vinyl sounds better and Max is nothing if not a snob," she laughed. "In a good way."

"I'll never understand," he said in an almost jealous tone. "To be your age again, man."

"Miss those glory days, huh?" She asked with a smirk.

"Actually..." His face ran through a quick succession of emotions, landing on a small, knowing smile. "No, now that I think about it. Being a teenager is hard." He chuckled quietly. "Strange how I've only just now really remembered that." He slowly rose from the couch and headed for the kitchen. Chloe turned her attention to the TV and scoffed to herself.

_I'll never understand watching people talk about sports._

"I wish I got paid to sit at a desk and talk shit about athletes," she joked, squinting to read the running banner at the bottom of the screen. "That'd be fuckin' dope." David returned, plopping down on the couch with an indifferent grunt.

"I'm not even sure I really listen to them anymore," he admitted. "It's just background noise while I'm thinking."

"Damn, dude. Ever thought about going goth?" Chloe asked. "It'd suit you. I'm sure Mom would be totally into..." Her words came to a slow stop as David held out a bottle of beer. After a moment of confused gawking, he jostled it in a 'take it' gesture. "Um, you sure?"

_Whaaaat the fuck anymore._

"Yes?" He said it playfully and a little confused. "Don't act like you've never had a beer, Chloe."

"You call this 'beer' you say?" She asked, taking the bottle and holding it out to examine it. "What a strange device. It is a beverage?" He snorted at her and tipped his own bottle to his lips.

"Just drink the damn thing."

"Bonding is weird," Chloe muttered quietly, then she took a sip. "Never pegged you as an IPA guy."

"What does that even mean?" The blue haired girl shrugged innocently. He stretched his neck, pressing his palm deeply into the crook. "Jesus, I've been sore lately. Think I've been sleeping wrong or something. But...at least I've been sleeping. That's a nice change of pace."

"Sleep is nice," she agreed. "At least you don't like, sleepwalk or anything. One time when I was little I found my dad in the kitchen just..." She trailed off, feeling conflicted about bringing her father up with David.

_That's...weird, right? He probably doesn't want to hear about Dad._

David didn't seem to directly acknowledge her, instead reaching for the remote and turning the volume on the television down. Her turned to her with an unsure expression.

"Could you...tell me about him?" He looked shy, aware that he was treading onto sacred ground. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he added.

_Uhhh what? Confusing feelings._

"He was...really goofy," she said in a whisper, looking down at the floor. "Always tried his best to make me laugh. I think part of him must have wanted to be a standup comic or something. Sometimes he acted like a bigger kid than me." She laughed, then nervously glanced at David. "You guys are really different." Her voice was struggling for an even tone.

"I'm sorry." He frowned as his shoulders sank a little.

"Wait, what? That's not what I was aiming for. It isn't _your_ fault, dude. People are just different." She put the bottle to her lips and swallowed several mouthfuls. "I guess I just have him in my head as this almost, like, legendary entity. To be honest, you could have been just like him and I probably still would have been a total bitch." She 'hmm'd' as she tapped the bottle to her lips. "Wanna know something dumb?" She asked, turning fully to face David.

_Am I really about to admit this? Ugh..._

"Of course," he said. "But I'm sure it's not dumb." Chloe snickered as she got up from the couch, meandering over to the sliding glass doors. She placed a hand on the glass, carefully watching her reflection mimic her movements.

"My hair," she said. She took another sip of her beer and turned to David. She crossed her arms when he only shook his head in confusion. "My dad was really excited about doing stuff around the house. I don't even think he was that good of a handyman, but he had all these big plans for ways to spruce up the place. Me and him always joked about building a hidden room with like a secret, bookshelf door." She rolled her eyes when David shrugged. "Dude, like in Scooby-Doo. That shit was around when you were a kid."

"I don't understand what that has to do with your hair, though." David sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at Chloe.

"I just..." She turned back to the glass door, quietly popping her lips. "I remember the first time he talked about painting the house. Like, really vividly for some reason. It's one of my clearest memories. He was so enthusiastic about it. Which is stupid, right? Just a fuckin' house. But, uh...for the longest time he just couldn't figure out what color to use. Him and Mom bickered for weeks." David closed his eyes, sighing out a small pang of realization. "Then one day, I showed him this really cool blue from some comic or something, I don't even remember. He fucking spazzed. It was the craziest reaction _ever_. He just lifted me off the ground in this hug and kept telling me I was his hero. I know he was just being dramatic and silly, but for some reason it really meant a lot to me." She closed her eyes and took another big gulp.

_This sounds really stupid out loud._

"He...never got to finish it, of course. When I decided to dye my hair, that was what I immediately thought of. It's not exact but...it's pretty close, right?" She opened her eyes as she felt a hand on her shoulder, seeing David's reflection behind her with a sullen look.

"It's very close," he said. He thought for a moment, tightening his grip on her shoulder in an affectionate way. "Hey, uh, when spring rolls around...maybe we could finish painting it? I...I don't want to step on toes or anything, but I thought maybe it'd be a nice gesture."

_We could finally finish it?_

"That...would be very cool, actually." She turned to him with an excited spark in her eyes. "We could even make it a big thing. Like a family event! You, me, Mom and Max! That'd be hella fun!" She smiled wide as she began to hop in place, overcome with happiness.

"Clearly you've never painted a house," he laughed. "But yeah, I think that would be a good time. In William's honor." He spoke his name so carefully, as if it might break. He held his bottle out, the tip of it leaning toward Chloe. She glanced between it and David, then laughed.

"In his honor, yeah," she said, clinking their bottles together.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Maxine!"

Her parents simultaneously hugged her from each side, squeezing her until she seemed about to pop. The cake in front of her was of simplistic design, but elegant. The wax number fifteen sat ablaze in the center.

"Go on, make a wish," her mother said, patting her on the back encouragingly. The flame flickered in the reflection of Max's big, blue eyes – ones that seemed to be hiding a deep melancholy. She briefly offered her mother a small smile, then turned and blew out the candles.

"Man, fifteen," her dad said, his voice somewhere between proud and devastated. "Sometimes I wish I could freeze time." He took a seat at the table and rubbed his hands together in excitement. "I'm so ready for this cake..." He turned to Max, his face serious. "I helped your mother make this, you know?"

"You put the candles on top," her mom responded dryly as she sat down. She handed out tiny, Styrofoam plates followed by silverware.

"That's helping," Max added with a small chuckle. Her father gave her a grateful wink. "Thank you so much, guys," she said. "It looks absolutely delish! I...think I'll take a photo." She tried her best to sound 'adult,' still settling into the habit of referring to pictures as photos. She grinned as she picked up her brand new camera, the silver along her teeth glistening against the setting sun threading through the windows. She aimed it at the cake and snapped the photo, unleashing a small squeal of excitement as it spat out a Polaroid. "This is so cool! I feel like a real artist!"

"Well, you are, aren't you?" Her father asked as he violently plunged the knife into the cake. "All it takes is the mindset." She shrugged shyly in response, clearly embarrassed by her new title. Her father's warm smile melted into a straight line of uncertainty as he glanced at his wife. Vanessa returned the look before aiming her eyes at the table. He cleared his throat. "Um, hey," he said as he placed a hand on Max's shoulder, "I'm sorry that none of your friends could make it to your party. Just bad luck, I guess." Max shrunk as he said it, her shoulders creeping their way to her ears.

"It's okay," she assured in a mousey voice. "It's a school night and everyone's just getting settled in, I understand. We'll probably make it up soon." She prodded her fork into the cake and took a bite. "It gets pretty nuts-o when school starts." Her mother simply 'hm'd' in response. They sat at the table making small talk, chatting about Max's upcoming school year and her dread of another boring history class. Once they were finished, she gave both of her parents a hug and thanked them again before treading upstairs into her room.

She closed the door behind her, falling back against it and breathing out an exhausted sigh. As she looked down at the camera in her hands, her brain began churning with thought. A small, devilish smile crept onto her face as she took a grandiose step into the room. She held the camera high above her, aiming it down at her face, and clicked the button. She awkwardly whipped the Polaroid in the air, scrunching her nose as her image came into existence. She examined it for a moment before snickering.

"Selfies with an instant camera... How dumb." She set the camera and both of her new photos down on her little desk, nodding proudly at her first steps into the world of instant photography. As she stared, a frown grew. She slowly pulled open the top drawer of her desk, huffing to herself as she took out the stack of invitations to her party. The ones she never even gave out. She sifted through them, reading the names of her classmates that she knew so little about. Finally, at the end of the stack, she stared harshly at the invitation with Chloe's name on it. Why had she even made that one? There was no way she would be able to show up to a party an entire state away. And for all Max knew, Chloe wouldn't even want to come. Still, something compelled her to make it. If only for her own peace of mind.

"Come on, Max," she said to herself irritatedly. "Just fucking text her." She stormed over to her bed and picked up her phone, digging through her contacts until she found Chloe. Exhaling slowly, she began typing. After only a few words in, she cringed, repeatedly tapping backspace until her message was gone. "She probably doesn't even miss me," she snarled, falling back onto the bed. "Dammit, why I'm such a wuss?" Her voice slid into a whimper as she began to sniffle. She let out one small sob, dragging her forearm across her eyes. "Chloe..."

...

Chloe's eyes opened smoothly and slowly, a single tear skirting down her temple. They focused on the blackness above her as her heart returned to its normal pace. She smacked her lips together, clearing out the dry mouth accumulated during her sleep.

_What...was that? Another time dream? But...it wasn't from October..._

She sat up, sweeping a hand through her hair as her eyes adjusted to the small sources of light scattered throughout her room. Her mind spinning a mile a minute, she crawled to the edge of her bed and peeked over, sliding her hand along the floor until she found her cigarettes. She situated one in her mouth and lit it, then searched for the ashtray, looping a finger around the brim and pulling it toward her. She stayed like that, her torso hanging off the bed as she smoked.

_Her fifteenth birthday? And...she was going to text me. Fuck, she didn't even invite anyone to her party. My poor baby._

"Man, what the fuck," she mumbled, finally pulling the ashtray up onto the bed with her and sitting cross-legged. While most of her time dreams had caused her unease or even upset her greatly, this one didn't. It was a quiet sadness, but one that also gripped her sweetly. All those years she spent believing Max didn't care seemed so incredibly silly now. The ability to recognize Max in that time as a vulnerable and anxious teenager, not a malicious bitch, felt strangely cleansing. Even _if_ she hadn't actively held that belief since meeting back up with her.

_Christ, I feel old as shit._

She slipped a hand beneath her sheets and found her phone, cursing under her breath as the lit screen hurt her eyes. Maneuvering through a few screens, she opened her text chain to Max. The red glow at the end of her cigarette burnt brighter as she inhaled.

_Gotta text her. Just need her to know._

**Chloe:** hey baby

**Chloe:** i know your prolly asleep

**Chloe:** just had another time dream, i think

**Chloe:** just want to tell you again that you are the best thing thats ever happened to me

**Chloe:** dont know how i got so lucky but

**Chloe:** i love you, max, more than i could ever explain

**Chloe:** :*

**Chloe:** yes emoji

She let the phone drop from her fingers and returned her attention to the dwindling cigarette.

_Why did I get a dream from years ago? What's the significance of that? I mean...is that even out of the ordinary? I have no idea what the rules are here, maybe that's just part of the package. Hella strange. She was so sad... I wish you would have texted me then, Max. If **I** could get one rewind, I'd use it to reach out. That's it. Just...wish you would have texted me._

As if on cue, her phone chirped and startled her. She stamped the cigarette out and picked it up, the light once again burning her eyes. But even through that brief pain, her smile was already growing.

**Max:** I can emoji nows?

**Max:** :*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

The punk giggled as she typed back.

**Chloe:** kinda thought the other stuff would be more interesting

**Max:** Emojis though

**Max:** Wait. Chlo, a time dream? Are you okay? What was it?

_Shit. How do I explain this one to her? God, I hope it doesn't hurt her..._

**Chloe:** ok so dont freak but it was actually of u back in seattle

**Chloe:** um your 15 bday?

An ellipses appeared on the screen, signaling Max texting back, but it stopped abruptly. She frowned, a small bit of concern growing within her. Her phone began to ring as Max's picture popped up on the screen.

"Max?" She asked as she answered. "Are you okay?"

"Fifteenth birthday?" The girl's voice was miniature and sleep coated. " _I_ don't even remember that birthday." The sentence slurred at the end, forcing Chloe to hide some laughter.

_I fucking love her sleepy voice. So cute._

"Well, you got your camera. And uh, I just saw that...you didn't send invitations out for your party. And you almost texted me but didn't." She fell backward, wiggling left and right until the blankets pillowed up around her curves.

"That's kind of embarrassing," Max said. "For the record, I did that a lot."

"You're...okay?" Chloe asked. "Not feeling upset or anxious?"

"Mmn..." She couldn't tell if Max was simply thinking or dozing off. "No, I feel okay." The adorable thing even dared to yawn. "But is embarrassing," she repeated.

_Oh thank fuckin' god she's not freaking._

"It's not embarrassing," the punk assured. "It was...sweet in a really weird way. Not that I at all love the thought of you depriving yourself of friendship, but the overall gesture is sweet."

"You're m'only pirate," Max slurred.

"Yeah," Chloe chuckled. "That's us. Pirates fo'eva. Oh, uh, Max?"

"Hm?"

"You looked fucking adorable with braces." There was a small gasp.

"Oh dog," Max groaned. "You're such a butt, Chlo."

"Yeah, but I'm _your_ butt," she corrected. Max muttered in affirmation.

"I gots two butts," she said and Chloe could almost _hear_ her nod. "You know," her voice sounded contemplative. "I haven't had a nosebleed since the night of the storm." The punk's eyes went wide, frantically searching through the dark.

"Are you serious?" She asked, sitting back up.

"Serious," the girl replied. "I'm...really happy."Chloe felt herself eject a stale gust of breath, one she had been holding since Max's nosebleed at Rachel's funeral. Tension unwound through her entire body, releasing her muscles from a petrified state she had grown to ignore. A sense of awe descended into her chest as a gleeful realization struck her.

_Holy...shit... Everything's finally okay._


	28. Curiouser And Curiouser

Max bobbed her head slowly as she strummed her guitar, relishing the fact that _finally_ her callouses were tough enough to fend off any cuts. She played along with the music on her stereo, cursing under her breath every time she messed up. Chloe had shown such great interest in her little acoustic that she couldn't help but want to get better. It was paying off, too. Even though she still struggled here and there, she was actually becoming quite proficient. She closed her eyes as the song changed, waiting for the music to kick in.

_Maybe if I get over myself, I'll actually be able to play for Chloe. I bet she'd love that. The nerd!_

She perked up as King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 came on, quickly shifting her fingers so that she could follow along on her guitar. She began to sing, her voice quiet and only for her ears. She continued through the song, only making two mistakes, though she powered through them. Finally, as the song reached its conclusion, her phone buzzed. She grabbed it from next to her and smiled when she saw Chloe's name.

**Chloe:** ay ay im done work. time to party and/or cuddle and go to sleep

She began to laugh as she responded.

**Max:** Honestly those things sound synonymous to me.

**Chloe:** damn fuckin right! ima snug the shit outta you

She set the guitar against the couch and stood up, stretching her neck until it cracked. She recoiled in surprise. It was a habit she had subconsciously picked up from Chloe. She had never been one for cracking knuckles or necks or backs but as it turned out, her lovely punk girlfriend had a very influential aura about her.

_As long as I don't start smoking, I guess..._

She sat down at her desk, eager to crack open her journal and add a paragraph or two about her day. It was a pretty uneventful Saturday, though Warren did seem particularly excited about a new manga he was reading.

"Time for some new ink," she chirped as she tore the cap off her pen.

_December 3rd,_

_TOO MUCH HOMEWORK._

_k bai._

_Just kidding, but seriously! Maybe I'm just salty because it made Chloe not want to stay over last night. Once she heard how much I had, she totally bailed on me! I should be more sneaky about school stuff. But the good news is, she did get some good bonding time with David. The bad(?) news is she had another time dream. But apparently when I was 15? Wtf? I thought they would only be from that week in October...I guess we were just kind of assuming._

_The time dreams are so hot and cold. I wish she didn't have them. Sometimes it seems like she adores them, but other times, like when she saw herself KILL Frank...I could tell it fucked with her hard. You can still see it in her eyes anytime she mentions him. Of course, any breach of the subject gets waved away. She's so concerned about protecting ME. Idk, I don't like it. It's like she's putting on a suit of armor just so she can stand in front of a bus. I get sick in my stomach thinking about her seeing the Dark Room or...fuck, even worse, the other reality. I guess I just have to pray it doesn't happen. Maybe I'll ask Kate for pointers? (lol)_

_Speaking of, she and Chloe hung out without me yesterday! I pretended to be mad (and failed HARD), but I'm actually SO happy! I always figured Chloe and Warren would get along, but her and Kate...that was much iffier. Then I got to take what might be one of my favorite photos ever! It's of Chloe, Warren, Kate and...VICTORIA! I know, I know. Hold your questions until after the show, please! Not only am I proud of the way it turned out from a technical aspect, but just...holy crap, a picture of my best friends! I wonder if Victoria would say that... Either way, it makes me giddy just knowing it exists!_

_That's the thing...I've been so giddy lately. It's been almost-ish-sorta a month since my last nosebleed. I tried not to think about it because I didn't want to jinx it, but now it just feels...good. Heh, I sound like Justin. "Feels good, man." Maybe that's also why the time dreams still make me nervous... They seem to be the last remaining factor of everything that happened. Blaaaah why do I have to be so anxious._

_Note to Max: DONT WORRY BE HAPPY_

_And now that that's stuck in my head, I think I shall play it on loop until Chloe gets here._

_P.S. I'ma kiss her face. SQUEEEEEE._

Max snorted as she noticed her lip had stuck to her teeth, a sign that she had been smiling for so long that her mouth had become dry. She began to gyrate as Bob Marley's voice pooled from the laptop speakers. An embarrassed giggle escaped her lips as she watched her reflection dance... _poorly_. Playfully, she trotted toward it, pointing and laughing.

"You're just as bad as I am," she teased the mirror. "Don't you judge me!" As she flitted to the right, her eyes slid down the Polaroid collage. "Oh man," she pouted as she stopped dancing. "I forgot to add my new photo!" She slid over to the desk where several photos were scattered and picked up the one of her friends.

But now, as she looked at it, it was different. It was...horrible. She gasped in terror. Chloe, Warren, Kate and Victoria all stood next to each other as it really happened, but it was altered. Disfigured. Chloe's face registered no emotion as a red, leaking hole was centered on her forehead. Her eyes were cloudy and steeped in death. Warren was still charming and smiling, though one of his eyes was swollen shut as half of his face was covered in a dark purple bruise. Kate's face remained entirely the same but her clothes were swapped out for a hospital gown. And Victoria held her hands to her face, her wrists bound together by duct tape as black makeup streamed down her cheeks. Her eyes were wide with fear. Behind them, instead of a brisk, sunny day was a gray swirl of madness.

"What the fuck?" She squeaked, dropping the photo. A sharp pain lanced her temple, slowing eking out through her mind. She clutched her hair as she winced.

_How is this possible? What's going on?_

Instinctively, she reached beneath her nose, feeling a small sense of relief that it was dry. Her throat tightened as she felt her eyes begin to water. The song continued to play, the peaceful melody colliding violently with the rhythm of her breathing. She bent down and focused on the photo. Suddenly, it began to shift. It bent and grew, folded and shrank. A small thud in her chest began to beat faster, crashing against her ribcage as she realized what was happening.

"Wait, no!" She shrieked, throwing her arms up and turning away. The words 'don't worry, be happy' smeared into nothingness as the world faded out. For the first time in months, Max slid through time, falling through minutes and hours. After a moment, her surroundings blinked into existence. Frightened, she scanned around her, finding that she was standing on the lawn in front of the dorms. The sky was gray as a steady rain fell down onto her.

_Where am I? I... **when** am I?_

"H...hello?" She called out. "Is anyone there?" Her voice was encased in loneliness as she noticed the absolute silence around her. Even the raindrops colliding into the pavement made no noise. It was as if she was in a vacuum. "Please!" She regarded the fluctuating, orange walls wrapped around the area. "Hello?!"

"What are you doing here, Max?" A small, scared voice asked. Max whipped around, searching for its source.

_I know that voice!_

"Kate!" She shouted. "Where are you?!"

"Stop! Don't come near me!" Max's blood turned to ice as her eyes slowly traveled up the dormitory. There Kate Marsh stood on the edge, staring down at her with an intense glare.

_Oh god, oh fuck! Fuck! This isn't happening!_

"Kate! What are you doing!?" The pain in her head pulsed, causing her to wince. "Kate, please, don't!" She glanced around her in panic.

_What is this? Nobody's here...this isn't how it happened..._

"K-Kate, please!" She began to cry as a feeling of dread wrapped around her throat. "I don't know what's going on, but you have to...oh fuck, fuck, **_no!_** " She screamed as Kate stepped off the roof, falling until she collided with the pavement in front of Max, her body crumpling on impact. "Oh my god, no!" She cried, running over to the body. "Kate, no, no. Oh god." She fell to her knees, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. "Kate, come on," she pleaded, violently shaking the blonde's body. "This can't be happening! This doesn't make sense!"

"What are you doing here, Max?" Kate's voice asked. Max froze, her eyes widening in fear. She swallowed the lump building in her throat.

"Kate...?" She whispered, softly nudging the body. Suddenly, something heavy crashed into the ground, causing Max to fall backward onto her rear in shock. She smacked a hand over her mouth as a scream flooded through the gaps in her fingers. It was Kate. Or... _another_ Kate.

"Oh, oh fuck," she whimpered, folding in on herself. "What the fuck is going on?!" She clamped her eyes shut as she assessed the situation and a thousand ways to will herself awake. "I'm fucking dreaming," she cried. Another loud thud prompted her to open her eyes, seeing a third Kate lying mangled on top of the first. A fourth hit, then a fifth as Max scrambled backwards, sobbing in disbelief. She looked up in time to see a sixth Kate tumbling through the air with a seventh already standing on the ledge. They continued to fall at an ever increasing rate until it seemed as if it was literally raining Kate's. As the bodies fell, they began to pile up, with some of the corpses sliding off the top and rolling down the emerging mountain. Max screamed and cried, pulling her hair as Kate continued to fall over and over. Dying over and over.

_This has to be a nightmare. It has to be. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up._

"Oooh, now that's a pretty grisly sight," said someone from behind Max. The voice immediately stung, prying Max's pores open and sneaking in to give her a burning sensation. It was the same voice that she had learned to hate and feel embarrassed by over eighteen years of living. She ground her teeth, shaking her head violently, willing it all to go away. "I mean, seriously," said the voice, "talk about An Abundance of Katherines, am I right?"

"Shut the _fuck_ up," Max spat, finally turning to confront her reflection. The girl, the...Other Max, stood tall, holding her phone above her as if recording the event. "This is in my head," Max said. "You're just trying to fuck with my head!"

"Sure thing," said the Other Max, grunting dismissively. She chuckled to herself. "Man, I bet you a million bucks that when Victoria was doing this, she had the camera flipped and was just recording her precious, all important reaction. Some photographer she is, passing up a moment like this! We are way more talented than her. I know you know that."

"Shut up!" Max screamed, covering her ears. "Go away! Leave me alone!" She watched in silence as the Other Max simply shook her head with a vile smirk. She motioned to her ears irritatedly. Slowly, Max took her hands away. "What do you want now? Why are you even here?"

_This doesn't make sense! I was...I was so happy!_

"Dude." The Other Max snapped her fingers in annoyance. "Over here, Max. Internal monologue is kind of a lost cause in this situation, no?"

"Oh, fuck you," Max shot back, laughing in disgust. "What's your problem? You just pissed that we fixed everything? Is that it?"

"Oh ho!" The Other Max exclaimed, her eyes wide. " _Fixed_ everything!? That's fucking rich!" She let out a bone chilling burst of laughter, doubling over as she clutched her stomach. "Fixed everything. Yeah, you sure did, Maxine." Behind her, Max could hear the bodies thumping against each other. She could feel the pile getting bigger, growing closer to her.

"Yes, I fixed it," she said stubbornly, getting to her feet. She did her best to ignore the disgusting sounds behind her.

"Really?" Asked the Other Max, smugly putting a hand on her hip. "And what tool did you use to 'fix' everything? A fucking wrecking ball? You broke it. You broke _all_ of it." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Sorry, correction. You let your Price-less little baby take a fucking jackhammer to reality. All so you two could snuggle, give googly eyes and pretend like someday you'd work up the nerve to actually fuck her."

"Shut the fuck up!" Max angrily shouted, pointing at her twisted doppelganger. "You're just trying to make me doubt myself. That's all you ever were. The ugly little voice in the back of my head. It won't work. I'm stronger than that now!"

"And we're all very proud of you," the Other Max mocked. "You can think I'm a voice in your head all you want, it's really no skin off my ass." She stared behind Max, smiling as if impressed. "Damn, that pile is gettin' big. Should we call it Mount Chastity in her honor? I think that's fitting, don't you?"

"I'm not looking..." Max said quietly. "I won't."

"Now that's a real shame," the Other Max said. "It's getting pretty crazy." She narrowed her eyes as she looked up and down, whistling with gusto.

"Can you just let me wake up? Please?" Max asked as pain circled through her chest.

"Uh, sure," said the other girl. She clapped her hands, then gasped in feigned shock when nothing happened. "Oh, would you look at that," she said. "You're not dreaming."

"Fuck you, I know I am," Max snarled. "Let me out of here!"

"That's some serious denial you got going on there." The Other Max sighed. "You're really a fuckin' moron, you know that? When Chloe went back through that photo with you, it broke everything. How the concept of _existence_ even works. Time is..." She stopped to think, playfully tapping her index on her chin. "Well, okay, time _was_ like a single, straight line of events. Whenever you used your powers, you were simply rewriting that one timeline. But I feel like I should really direct your attention to the use of the word _was_."

"Stop," Max said, her voice tinged with fear. She shivered as the anxiety looped around her body, an ugly tentacle of nervousness.

"But now...now that you _and_ her went back, it's spiraled out of control into trillions of different timelines." She chuckled. "Think of it like a string cheese."

"Please, stop..." Max begged, shaking her head.

"Oh yeah, see, you knew. You knew something was wrong, didn't you? You could feel it every time you got a nosebleed. The universe is falling apart and it's all thanks to _her_." The Other Max grinned, holding her arms out like 'ta-da!'

"I don't believe you," Max said.

"Yes, you do. We're the same, remember?" She sighed dramatically. "As sad as that is for me."

"Why did you let me jump, Max?" It was a tidal wave of voices, all entwined together but separate. Max turned quickly to see the enormous mountain of Kate's bodies. They were all conscious and alert, crooked and bent in unnatural ways, staring at her in unison. "Why couldn't you have been a better friend?" They asked accusingly. Max felt her stomach flare up in pain.

"Kate, I...I don't even know what's going on! You didn't jump! I saved you! I talked you down!" She felt dizzy as she realized she didn't know where to focus, which Kate's eyes she should be looking into.

"Right," said the Other Max. "You saved her. It was all honky dory back when there was only one timeline. But since you were kind enough to create infinite possibilities...well," she gestured to the pile of Kate's. "That means there are infinite universes where you couldn't convince her to come down with you."

"No," Max said, shaking her head. "That's not true. This...this never even happened! She never went to the roof! We changed it!"

"Jesus, do you _ever_ just fucking _accept_ things? All you do is twist and turn everyone and everything until it suits your needs. That's not how things _work_ , Max." She made a sound of disgust as she shook her head. "Just face it, your little wishy washy heart tore the universe into actual shreds." She looked over the mound of Kate's and snickered. "Dude, we could get like a claw machine for this."

"It's not real," Max mumbled, mostly for herself. "Not real."

"Good lord," the Other Max sighed, "will you give it a rest? It's real! It's here! You killed _all_ of these Kate's! Why don't you just take a breath and accept it? Shit, maybe you should be proud. That's an impressive body count. Fuckin' George R. R. Martin up in here."

"No, no," Max whispered, pressing her palms into her temples. "Just gotta wake up. Just gotta wake up. God dammit," she hissed, hitting herself in the temple, "wake the fuck up!"

"Real nice, another great habit you've picked up from Chloe," Other Max said with bitterness. "Wah, wah," she fake cried, "I'm so stressed out I'm going to punch myself in the head! What a fucking baby. And look at _you_! Think you're so cool now because you got yourself a piercing and a bullet around your neck?" She raised an eyebrow. "You know, speaking of...if you had just let her get shot, Max, you wouldn't have this pro-"

" ** _NO!_** " Max shouted, hurrying toward her reflection. "You won't talk that way about her! You can say all the shit you want about me, I don't fucking care, but you will _not_ speak about her that way."

"Wow, holy shit, man." The Other Max stared as if she was being ridiculous. "Guess we know how to strike a nerve should the situation call for it." An evil smile spread out on her face. "You really think you're in love, huh? And you _really_ think she loves you? That Rachel is just a thing of the past? Who do you think she would choose if Rachel were still alive?" Her lips drew taut as she shrugged nonchalantly. "I know who _I_ think she'd pick, and we _are_ the same person, so..."

"We're not the same," Max argued, stomping on the ground. "You're just a fucked up, mangled piece of self doubt. That's all you are. God, it's the same fucking rhetoric as before. I'm a good person, dammit!" The Other Max leaned to the side, sizing up the pile of corpses behind Max.

"Yeah, you're a real winner," she said flatly.

"Look," Max scoffed, puffing out her chest as she set her feet. "I get it. I get what you're trying to do. But you're just a voice in my head! That's it! You have no real power over me!"

"Okay, so..." Her reflection stalked toward her with an amused smirk. "You're telling me that the _best_ case scenario here is that you've reached a level of psychosis that transports you to fucked up, hellish dreamscapes to fight with yourself?"

"Curiouser..." Max heard from behind her in a hushed voice. She took a deep breath and turned once again to face the tower of Kate's, still increasing to a ludicrous height. "Curiouser...and...curiouser...and...curiouser...and...curiouser..." Each word sprang from the mouth of a different Kate. Their eyes held no semblance of life, though they focused harshly on Max, even adjusting for every twitch and tremble she made. "And...curiouser...and...curiouser...and..."

"Kate..." Max's voice bubbled in despair. "Please stop. Please. I'm begging you, please. Kate..."

"Curiouser...and...curiouser...and...curioandusecuriousandcurandiouscurand..." The whispers layered over each other, creating an indiscernible but maddening noise. She wound her fingers through her hair, tugging tightly as the strands grew taut and burned at her scalp. Just as she felt her sanity slipping off the edge, the Kate's ceased their chanting. Breathing heavily, she glanced up, catching the quick glimpse of a doe disappearing around the dormitory. Even still, their eyes followed her movements.

"How do all those eyes on you feel, Max?" The Other Max asked with a snicker. "See, that's how Kate felt. And what did you do? Took another photo of her instead of intervening when David was hassling her."

"No, I didn't! What are you talking about!? I stepped in!" Max held her arms out in frustration, her hands binding into tight fists.

"You're missing the point. You did _both_ now, thanks to Chloe. And more..." She shrugged indifferently. "But that's right, you're a good person! I almost forgot! Whatever... Who knows how long it'll take, but it'll all come crashing down eventually. Or together, I guess. See how valuable your 'good person' badge is then."

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"Now you're interested, huh?" She laughed disbelievingly. "It's really not hard, Max. You created infinite, unstable timelines that are chaotically tangling through existence. Eventually, they'll crash. Then...collapse. And uh, that won't be pretty. Eventually, all running water reaches the ocean..." She stared for a moment, soaking in Max's fear and confusion. "It's already happening, you know?" She brought her hands to her mouth, bending them to mimic tiny paws. She playfully smacked her lips, simulating a small rodent eating.

"Samuel..." Max said quietly, her stomach spiking with a shock of pain. "No! No, that was just... That was..."

"What was it, Max?" Her doppelganger crossed her arms. "You don't understand anything! Stop pretending like you do! I mean, fuck, _you_ still think that the storm was-"

"Max!" The voice was a high pitched echo, reverberating through the courtyard. The orange, Polaroid walls surrounding them began to flicker.

"Oh Christ," Other Max said, rolling her eyes. "And here she is to save the day."

"Max!" The voice boomed in again, folding around Max's body, providing warmth and comfort. "Please, come back to me! Max!"

"Chloe?" Max asked, feeling two hands press against her chest, though no one was in front of her.

"I love you so much, please wake up!" Chloe cried, her voice falling from the heavens. The Other Max, displeased with the punk's intervention, coolly pulled her camera out of her bag. She studied it for just a moment, then aimed it at Max.

"Fine, you win this time," she said with annoyance. "But do me a favor, okay? Ask your _jailor_ about the homeless woman behind the Two Whales. Yanno, just for funsies."

"Max," Chloe's voice whispered directly into her ear, " _I need you_." And the camera flashed.

* * *

"Max, I need you," Chloe whimpered, pulling the girl closely against her chest. Slowly, Max's eyes fluttered open, her head shifting and turning, the gears grinding and creating sparks as she readjusted to reality. She opened her mouth to speak and was overcome with the taste of blood, enough that as her lips parted, some ran directly out of her mouth.

"Chloe?" She asked quietly, the spinning room finally coming to a stop. She heard a loud gasp from above her, as two hands forcefully gripped her and moved her so the punk could see into her eyes.

"Jesus Christ, Max," she cried, shaking her head. "Oh my god, I was so scared. I was so scared." She brought the girl into a tight hug, but not before Max noticed the enormous red stain on Chloe's chest. "I just, I came into your room and you were laying on the floor unconscious! And your nose was bleeding...I didn't know what to do!" She took a deep breath and buried her face in Max's hair, unleashing a million small kisses. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, Chlo..." Max said, her eyes tired and mind numb. She uncurled her fingers, revealing the crushed Polaroid of Chloe, Warren, Kate and Victoria. The right one. The one she remembered taking. She closed her eyes, content to fall back into a slumber. She was _so_ drained. But little bubbles of clarity formed, bursting and revealing everything she'd just experienced. Or at least...maybe experienced? She saw Kate falling and her eyes grew wide, her body convulsing as she pulled away from Chloe. "Kate!" She shrieked. "Chloe, what about Kate?! Is she okay?"

"What?" Chloe asked, her tone concerned. "Kate's fine. I just talked to her on the way in here."

"Are...are you sure?" Max gripped the girl's jacket tightly.

"I'm positive, Max. She was outside with...uh, Courtney? What...what _happened_? That was so scary, you were just on the floor..." Her lip quivered as tears rolled off her cheeks. Max opened her mouth to speak, but found no words would come out. She simply stared into Chloe's eyes, watching her pathetic reflection as it began to cry. All she could do was grip Chloe tightly and hug her, sobbing as the nose bleed finally stopped.

They sat like that for over an hour, Max clinging to the blue haired girl for dear life, loud sobs that slowly burnt into quiet tears. Chloe held her. She rubbed her back, she played with her hair, she kissed her. But no words were exchanged. She watched the sun set through the window, the light fading until they were sitting in a dimly lit room. Finally, Max took a breath.

"Chloe," she whispered. "I'm so fucked up."

"No," Chloe said, returning her voice with the same volume. "You're okay. I'm here, baby. We're fine." There was a beat of silence. "Max, what happened?"

"I don't know..." She loosened her clutch on Chloe, then let her body rest on the girl. "It was like that blackout during the storm. Where everything felt real but...wasn't." She sniffled. "It wasn't...right?"

"You mean the crazy nightmare where people were walking backwards and I made out with Victoria?" The punk shook her head. "No, of course that's not real. It was like...time stress, right? I mean, when you were telling me about it..."

"It felt so real. So real." Max's eyes wandered, noticing the splotches of blood on Chloe's neck. "Fuck!" She shrieked. "I was doing so well! Everything was finally okay!"

"Everything's...everything's still...it's still okay, god dammit!" Chloe closed her eyes, letting her head droop back and bang against the wall. "It has to be okay!" She whined. "I'm so sorry, Max. I'm trying so hard. I'm trying to be tough."

_Be careful what you fucking wish for. God dammit, I'm so stupid._

"I'm so tired," the brunette mumbled. "Physically. Emotionally. Just...tired." She burrowed her face into Chloe's chest once again. "I'm like actually crazy. What do I do?"

"I don't know..." The punk strengthened her grip on the smaller girl. "Fuck it, man. Just whatever. So you have time PTSD that causes really vivid, bad nightmares. So fucking what? It's not enough. I'll fix it, okay? Just like we've been doing, I'll help you through it. This fucking storm isn't going to win. I promise, okay?"

"I'm so tired," Max repeated in an even tinier voice.

_It's already so fuzzy. What is going on inside my head? I hate that...other me? All she does is collect everything I have in my subconscious and spin it. Feeding off of my fear that I somehow messed everything up... Of course she knew about Samuel. **I** know about Samuel! It's just fucking reorganized information I already ha-_

"Chloe?" Max asked as she sprung away from the girl. She could already feel her pulse begin to speed up.

"You're tired, Max. Let's take a nap. That was the plan anyway, right?" The punk managed a chuckle as she reached for the girl.

"No...No! Wait! No! You..." Max's brow knitted together in confusion. In fear. "What do you know about the homeless woman behind the Two Whales?"

"Uh...what?" Chloe regarded her confusedly. "The homeless lady? I don't understand?"

"Just...just tell me everything you know about her, please." When Chloe didn't immediately begin speaking, Max lurched for her shoulders. "I am literally begging you, Chlo. Anything!"

"I mean..." Max could see in the blue haired girl's eyes how nervous she was. "She's just a homeless lady! I've only talked to her like three times! Mostly about food..."

"Are you sure? She never said or did anything weird?"

"Well, she just kind of _is_ weird? Like, the first time I talked to her, she got all ominous about the Prescotts but who the fuck doesn't in this town? I don't understand, Max. Literally all we've ever talked about was food, the Prescotts, cigarette prices and you!" Max's eyes went wide.

_What?_

"Me?" She asked, feeling the small whirs of electrical pulses in her skin, bringing goosebumps to life.

"Yeah, but I mean, it wasn't weird!" Chloe held her arms up defensively, showing genuine fear of the girl before her. "She just said she likes you! That I should take care of you and that she'd like to talk to you again!" Max fell backward, clapping a hand to her mouth. The restlessness in her stomach lunged to the side, causing her to gag.

_No fucking way. NO FUCKING WAY._

"Baby, please, you're scaring me so bad," Chloe whimpered, reaching a hand out for Max. "I don't understand what's going on or why you're...Jesus Christ, Max!" She pounced forward, wrapping the girl in a hug. Max already knew why she screamed. She could taste it. The blood cascading across her lips and down her throat. Chloe began to sob as she held the brunette as tightly as possible. "Please tell me what's going on!" She screamed through her tears.

"I..." Max said, her voice cold and devoid of all emotion. "I never talked to her in this timeline."


	29. Picking Up Pieces

"Christ, Chloe. You okay? You're like a million miles away."

"What?" Chloe asked, her mind collapsing back into the present. Frank stared at her, the concern clear on his face. "Sorry, dude. Hella long night. Didn't get any sleep."

"Everything cool?" He asked. He took a sip of his beer, though his eyes never left the punk.

_Yep. Everything's cool. Fucking fantastic._

"Yeah, just one of those nights," she said. She dipped a hand into her pocket and took out her phone, hastily swiping her finger to get to her chat log with Max.

**Chloe:** i know im being annoying, but just checking in again

**Chloe:** let me know youre okay

**Chloe:** i love you so so so much and ill be over after work

_Dammit, Max. I hate that you made me promise to go to work. I could be with you right now! You NEED me right now! ... **I** need you right now..._

"Everything okay with you and Max?" Frank asked as he glanced at the phone. "No trouble in paradise, right?"

"We're fine," Chloe responded, perhaps a bit more brusquely than she had meant. She sighed when he shot her a wounded look. "Sorry," she said. "I'm just a little tense. Porcupine mode, you know?" That managed to make him crack a smile.

"Shit, are you telling me you can turn that off? News to me."

"No," she shot back with a smile of her own. "It's really more about how long my quills are at any given time." He chuckled and nodded.

_That's it. Joke. Smile. Laugh. Pretend that everything's okay. I guess if there's one thing I'm good at..._

Frank began to talk again but his voice immediately faded into mush. Her mind raced back to the day before, reliving the moment of finding Max passed out on the floor and bleeding. She could only imagine herself opening the door over and over, the sight of her lover striking the same, stagnant pain into her heart every time. Her hand bound into a fist, the pain of her nails piercing her flesh snapping her back to reality.

"Excuse me," she said as she jolted to her feet. "Need to splash some water on my face. Gotta wake myself up! Can't be falling asleep on the job." In a few quick steps she was in the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She was confronted with scratched out and painted over graffiti. They were crude and vulgar before, but now that the truth had come out, they were viewed in immensely poor taste. They had been there for so long, but now she actually focused on them. They seemed audible, as if she could hear the slanderous words against Rachel and Kate. She approached the sink and bowed her head. Her hands like vices, they gripped the edges of the sink as she stared down into the drain. She began to tremble.

_Why aren't we allowed to be happy? What did we do to deserve this?_

Flustered, she flipped on the faucet and began to wash her hands. She thought about the night before - how she had to sneak into the bathroom in Max's dorm and scour her hands clean of the girl's blood. Her teeth ground together as she continued to scrub, the skin on her knuckles becoming pink with rawness. She could see the blood on her hands, her mind leaping back into the previous night. She scrubbed and scrubbed, yet it didn't seem to come off. Finally, she sobbed, pulling her hands out of the steaming, burning water.

_No. NO. Fuck this. The fucking storm isn't going to win. I deserve...Max deserves to be happy. We both do. But that fucking old lady..._

Her head snapped in alert. Her eyes pierced through her reflection, aflame with conviction and anger.

_The homeless lady..._

She turned the water off and opened the door, storming past Frank to the other end of the counter where the flap allowing entrance was. She ducked into the kitchen and ripped her jacket from the hook on the wall.

"Taking a quick break. Everyone's eating," she said to the cook as she pulled on her coat. She was already outside when he grunted his acceptance. The harsh cold gripped her immediately, causing her to shiver. She stared at the brick wall in front of her as she placed a cigarette between her lips. Her fingers twitched with anticipation and a seething hatred. As she brought the lighter to the tip of the cigarette, she heard her.

"Well, hey Chloe," the homeless woman greeted emphatically. The punk could see a hand waving in her periphery. She didn't look right away, instead focusing on the flame struggling to survive in the cold weather. Once the cigarette was lit, she took two small puffs, bringing it to a stable burn. Her muscles tensed in her shoulders and neck as she turned to acknowledge the woman.

"Hey," Chloe said, the word leaking out spitefully.

_This is **your** fault._

"I'm afraid the weather's getting to be a bit too cold for me to be lounging around the Two Whales," the woman said with a smile. "I might have to vacate to my winter residence!" She chuckled, but it slowed to a stop when she saw Chloe's eyes. "What's wrong, dear? You don't look happy at all."

"I need to ask you something," the blue haired girl announced. She reached a hand out to the woman, revealing an unlit cigarette and her lighter in her palm. Graciously, the woman took them. "I want to talk to you about Max." The woman took a drag of the cigarette, a small sensation of relief visible on her face as the nicotine ran through her blood. She nodded slowly.

"Ah, yes, Max..." She said it knowingly. She took another quick drag, and stared up at Chloe, her gaze cold as steel. Suddenly, she bared her yellow teeth and shrugged as if embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she said. "Who is Max?" Chloe's eyes widened.

_Who the fuck does she think she's fooling?_

"Max," Chloe repeated impatiently. "My girlfriend."

"Oh!" The woman grinned, slapping a hand onto her knee. "Is that her name!? The cute little brunette who's always hanging all over you?"

_What is this shit?_

"You said you've talked to her before," Chloe said. The confusion slowly wound through her bones, overtaking the sheer wrath she had felt just moments before. The woman shivered and placed the cigarette between her lips, tugging at the collar to her tattered coat.

"Definitely getting too cold," she muttered. "If I stop showing up, you can find me down at the laundromat. The vent they have out back keeps me warm. You know," she winked as she chuckled, "in case you want to make a long distance delivery."

"I'll...keep that in mind," the punk responded, trying to maintain her interrogative tone. She drew her own jacket tighter as a biting wind dashed through the alley. "I'm asking you again. Tell me about when you talked to Max. What did you talk about? Did she mention the weather? Or...or Rachel Amber?"

"Okay, kid, you got me," she replied as she shuddered again, quickly taking a puff of her cigarette to steal its warmth.

_This is it..._

"I'm..." The woman sighed and shook her head. "I know it doesn't do much for sympathy, but sometimes I'm too fucked up to remember what's going on."

"Wait, what?" Chloe asked, slouching in more confusion.

"I'm afraid I don't remember talking to your girlfriend," the woman complained. "I was...probably a little out of my mind, depending on the day and the, uh, substance." Chloe tilted her head to the side as her jaw drew taut, glaring at the woman with one eye.

_She...doesn't remember?_

"Sorry." The woman frowned. "I know it's not really a secret, but I still like to pretend that it's not obvious... Kind of pathetic, huh?" She seemed to struggle with the thought of tears, but willed it away as she gingerly touched a hand to the scratch marks on her neck.

"Wait, wait," Chloe waved her hand. "Just so we're clear, you don't have any memory of talking to Max? You told me you did and that you liked her. You even told me to take care of her and that you'd like to talk to her again."

"Yeah..." The woman shrugged. "I got nothin'. Clearly we must have talked if I knew her name, but I sure as hell don't remember it now." She looked away from Chloe and puffed on the cigarette, pulling her knees closer to her chest. "I don't suppose you'll want to be talking to an old addict anymore, huh?" The shame was clear in her voice.

_What the fuck, I am so confused._

"I...no, no," Chloe assured, shaking her head. "I've done my fair share of drugs, I just...I'm confused is all. Max was pretty adamant that you guys talked. I guess it must have been when you...weren't feeling great." The lady seemed to appreciate her wording.

_So she doesn't remember talking to Max... Wait, this is so fucking confusing. What if...Max talked to her when she was on autopilot? But the woman was all fucked up on drugs? She wouldn't remember, but maybe it's stuffed somewhere in her subconscious. Is that even possible?_

"Ah, shit." Chloe held up her cigarette which had burnt out from neglect. She regarded the woman, someone just a moment ago she had felt immense rage for, and now only pitied her. "I uh," she flicked the cigarette toward the dumpster, scowling when it bounced off the side. "I gotta get back in there. If I don't see you...I'll make sure to stop by the laundromat, okay?"

"You're one of the good ones," the woman said, bowing her head in gratitude.

"The jury's still out on that," she quipped, turning and walking back into the diner. Once in from the cold, she rubbed her hands on her arms to help jump start her rise in temperature. "Okay..." She mumbled to herself, leaning against the wall.

_Let's think about this. Let's fucking Sherlock this shit. Okay, Chloe. Max has crazy nightmares based around her fears... And I know she's been worried about the time travel shit. What if..._

"Okay, okay," she said as she took her coat off. "How does this make sense? Or...enough sense as it possibly can." She wandered over to the door and stared off into the restaurant, grunting in satisfaction that no new customers had entered. "Alright. Think. Fuckin' think." She lightly prodded her temple with her index finger.

_Is it possible that Max actually has all of her memories from when she was on autopilot? And...evil Max is aware of them? But why does she have fucking Super Saiyan PTSD? Is that just a side effect from time travel?_

"Fuckin' sound like Warren," she chuckled. She peered through the window in the door again, focusing on Frank looking mopey as usual. Her brows began to crinkle in mischief as she grew a Grinch-esque smile.

_If I'm gonna chase this possibility, I'm gonna go all in..._

She sprang through the door and waltzed over to Frank, slamming her palms on the table to get his attention.

"Stop _doing_ that!" He growled, flapping his hand at his neck. "Did you go out for a smoke? I would have joined you."

"Sorry, broseph, I had to figure something out. So, uh, listen..." She dragged the word out playfully as she waggled her eyebrows. "I need to make a purchase from you."

* * *

The punk had a little more pep in her step as she strolled toward the dormitory, the overnight bag over her shoulder bouncing against her lower back with each step. Occasionally she slid her hands underneath the large pizza box she was carrying to bring some warmth to her fingers. And though she appeared to be in good spirits – and she was for the most part – her mind was working in overdrive, still trying to piece everything together. As she trotted along the path in the courtyard, completely devoid of students, she spotted Samuel sitting on a bench. She slowed to a stop and stared, nibbling on her lip in thought.

_Well, there's Lurch. Fuck it, let's see..._

"Yo, Samuel." She waved enthusiastically, holding a forced smile on her face. He slowly looked to her and returned a wave with a purple gloved hand.

"Hello, Miss Price. How are your insides?" She scrunched her nose at how casually he asked it, but continued smiling.

_What the fuck is your deal, homie?_

"Oh, they're...inside! Where they should be, right?" She gestured to her ribs in a showcase style.

"Yes, that is preferable," he giggled. He turned away and tossed some breadcrumbs out for the squirrels sitting a few feet away.

"So, how are the little guys?" She asked, nodding to small rodents. "Say anything interesting lately?"

"Nothing particularly insightful. They didn't like the color of Samuel's new gloves, so I had to switch back." He shook his head a bit disdainfully.

"Oh yeah?" She played along. "What color were they?"

"The loveliest green. The squirrels said it reminded them too much of airplanes. The engine sounds scare them. They can be so bossy..." He pouted, his tone resembling a frustrated toddler.

_Aaaaand there it is. You're just fucking crazy._

"Well, Samuel," she said as she continued toward the dorm. "Keep your chin up, buddy. Don't let the fuzzy man keep you down!"

"Oh, thank you!" He responded, waving once again.

* * *

"Knock, knock," Chloe cooed as she gently tapped the door with her boot. "Your sexy punk mistress is here to cuddle you and chase the bad Max away!" The door creaked open, revealing a disheveled, worn out Max. But she had the tiniest smirk on her face.

_Jesus fucking Christ you are so beautiful._

"Hi babe," she said quietly, shifting to the side and allowing Chloe entrance into her room.

"I bring pizza!" The blue haired girl declared as she held the box above her head. "And I got broccoli on it. Even though I _still_ don't think it's a good pizza topping."

"Thanks Chlo, but I don't think I can eat..." She frowned as she sat on her bed.

"I've seen you do it before?" Chloe teased, closing the door with her foot. "I guess I can like, momma bird it for you if you really want but it's not my ideal situation." She sat beside Max and set the pizza down next to her.

"You're...in a good mood," Max said, her voice straddling somewhere between irritation and hopefulness.

"I think I am, yeah," she replied. She kicked at her own foot, slipping her boot off before doing the same thing to the other. "So, first things first, Maximus."

_My favorite thing in the entire world._

"What do you mean?" The brunette asked. Chloe grinned deviously as she leaned forward. She wrapped one hand around the back of Max's neck and pounced into a kiss, feverishly prying the girl's mouth open and absorbing her in a fit of lust. Thankfully, she didn't hesitate or resist, instead embracing it as if she'd be waiting for it all day.

"Delicious as ever," Chloe rasped. She maintained sleepy, kiss eyes with Max as she reached beside her and grabbed the pizza box. "Now, please eat. For me?"

"Freakin' cheater," Max mumbled as she flipped the box open and pulled a piece out.

"I fight as dirty as I think," the punk giggled with a shrug. "So," she pulled her bag from off her shoulder and flung it to the floor. "I was thinking about staying the night. Is that okay with you?"

"I would really like that," the brunette said with her mouth full. She stared at Chloe as she chewed, her eyes narrowing.

"What's that look for?" She asked. Max stared for a moment longer, then quickly shoved her slice of pizza into the girl's mouth.

"Broccoli pizza is good," she giggled. "Eat, eat." Chloe rolled her eyes and chomped down, exhaling her displeasure through her nose.

_Alright, let's slide into this slow and gently. Eugh, phrasing, Chloe._

"So, how are you feeling?" Chloe asked as she retrieved a slice of her own. She watched Max carefully while she plucked the broccoli off.

"I don't know," Max sighed. "Feel so tired and confused. And...I'm scared, obviously." She shrugged shyly as she averted her eyes from her girlfriend.

"Well, I did some...detective work today," the punk said slowly. "I've been doing some thinking." She laughed and held up her hands even though Max didn't give her a reason to do so. "I know, I know. That's dangerous, right?"

"What did you do?" Max asked quietly with a hint of accusation.

"I talked to the chick behind the Two Whales." Chloe braced herself as she said it. Max gasped.

"What? What did you say?" She lowered her pizza into her lap and looked at Chloe with a furrowed brow.

"I was kind of mad. I just wanted to lash out..." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I asked her about talking to you." Max looked away as her expression hardened.

"And?" She asked.

"And," Chloe said, sliding a hand along Max's back comfortingly, "she didn't remember doing it. Didn't even know who you were." The brunette whipped in her direction with a confused look. "She ended up kind of spilling her guts about drugs and everything. Said it gave her a shitty memory."

"I don't really see how that helps us," Max grumbled.

" _Well_ , I'd like to put forth a theory." Chloe slid off the bed and picked up her bag, unzipping it and bringing out a bottle of wine. "But if I'm gonna get all Stephen Hawking in here, I wanna get a little loosened up first."

"I guess..." Max offered, surveying the bottle of wine with a bit of annoyance.

_Not the open arms reaction I wanted, but it is the one I expected. I'm sure she'll be even more thrilled with how much weed I bought off Frank. Good thing he's still smoking..._

"Just to be clear." Chloe tore the plastic from around the bottleneck and tossed it toward the trashcan, pouting when she missed. "These nightmares of yours...they're like total, fucked up, Salvador Dali acid trips built around your fears right?"

"I guess so?" Max shrugged. "I don't know what they are."

"Well, what have you been afraid of since we've been back from The Week That Never Was?" Chloe unscrewed the lid and took a small gulp directly from the bottle.

"I don't know," she huffed. "Every time I tried to fix things before, I broke them again. I guess that's been an underlying worry."

"Which is exactly what your...uh, own personal Tyler Durden accused you of, right?" She held the bottle out for Max, who reluctantly took it.

"Right," she said. Chloe held her arms out, rolling her wrist as if beckoning a realization from Max. "Oh," Max finally said. "I guess that makes sense but...how would she know about the homeless woman?" She took a quick sip of wine.

"That's the mystery, right?" The punk stretched her arms behind her before taking the bottle from Max. "I was thinking...what if you talked to the lady while you were on autopilot? Like when we were catching back up to that Friday. After I'd been shot and everything?" Max gasped as her eyes went wide.

"Holy shit, that's actually possible! But...but wait, I don't remember stuff from when I was on autopilot. I mean, I'd have years worth of memories if that was true." She scrunched her lips to the side in thought.

"Which brings me to my second theory," Chloe muttered as she searched through her bag. She peeked up at Max and awkwardly grinned as she removed a small bag of marijuana. Max groaned and crossed her arms disapprovingly.

"You fuckin' cereal right now?" She asked.

_That phrase is a fucking relic, Max._

"Yeah, I'm pretty much Froot Loops," Chloe chuckled. "Look, this is serious shit and I'm just trying to level the anxiety playing field." She shrugged. "We don't have to. Your call."

"Just..." The brunette huffed. "Just set it up."

_Atta girl._

"Cool," Chloe replied as she began to situate the bowl. "So, my second theory..." She stopped to regard Max. "What if you _do_ have years of memories locked up somewhere in your head? What if that's what's causing all of this?" The girl's jaw slacked open.

"Dude," Max shook her head. "That's...hang on." She clapped her hands to her head and closed her eyes. "Warren said something about that. He was joking but...he did mention like, how does a human mind comprehend time travel and different realities?" She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "Is this like some Lovecraftian incomprehensible horror situation?"

"Maybe," Chloe said coolly, holding the bowl out for Max. "But I think it's really important to focus on the fact that you're fighting it. You're not like, a bubbling mess of incoherence. You're still you!"

"For how much longer?" The brunette asked. "If what you're saying turns out to be true and I'm just like, going twelve rounds with insanity...how much longer can I fight it?" She winced. "No wait, this doesn't even make sense. What about Samuel?"

"First of all," the punk pointed at the bowl, "hit that." Max did as she was told, though her eyes never left Chloe. "Second of all, I briefly looked into that as well and obviously I can't prove this, but I think the dude's just...crazy. Broken clock's right twice a day, you know?"

"I don't know, dude," Max said, exhaling a stream of smoke. "I just don't know how much longer I can keep it up." Chloe snickered and retrieved another slice of pizza, taking a bite without bothering to remove the broccoli this time.

"When you have these nightmares, you're like lucid right?" She asked, plopping one hand onto her hip.

"Yeah."

"Well, if it happens again...I want you to kick ass. Fight back for real." She handed her slice of pizza to Max, trading her for the smoldering bowl. The smaller girl began to munch on it as she listened.

"Go on," she insisted.

"When that ugly voice in your head starts talking shit, talk shit back. Stand your ground. I'm serious. Use like, grounding but the superpower version."

"That's so much easier said than done," she complained, falling backward onto her bed. "You don't understand, Chlo. It's a total assault on my psyche." The blue haired girl took a deep hit and exhaled.

"I believe in you," she said, climbing onto the bed with Max. "You are fucking amazing. You can do anything. And you can beat this." She grabbed the bottle of wine and took a swig, then handed it to Max.

"I don't know..." Max said quietly before taking a drink.

"Fuckin' believe in the me that believes in you, Caulfield," the punk snipped with a smirk. "Max, I have never believed in anything as much as I believe in you. As much as I believe in _us_. We're the fucking champions here. We're the kings of Big Dick Mountain. Everything else is bullshit."

"Where...is that located?" The brunette asked with a small smile.

_There we go, she's lightening up._

"West of Unicorn Castle and north of Fat Stacks Valley," Chloe chuckled, inching herself closer to the smaller girl. "The point is I believe in you, okay?"

"Believe doesn't even sound like a word anymore. Bee-leave. That's what happens when a honeybee goes on an extended vacation." She snirked and rolled her eyes. "You fucker, got me high."

"You got yourself high, dork. And see, now you know what I was talking about that one time. Aggrandizing!" Chloe pulled in another drag from the bowl, then set it down on Max's dresser. Max began to laugh as she pushed the punk's face away.

"Don't even start that," she giggled. She took another sip from the bottle then rolled to her side, slipping one of her legs over Chloe's waist. "Hey," she said.

"What's up, cutie?" Chloe purred, swiping a hand through Max's hair.

"I'm crazy into you," she said.

_God my fucking heart._

"Well, duh," the taller girl responded. "I'm a total catch." Rather than scoff or act offended, Max simply smiled warmly and nodded.

"You are. I had to cast a net through time and space to catch you, but I did it." She leaned forward and softly bumped her head against Chloe's chin. "I gotcha."

"You are fucking perfect, I can't even stand it," Chloe whispered, slowly shaking her head in disbelief.

"Good, because you're not standing," the brunette shot back. She watched her for a moment, her blue eyes making tiny movements across the punk. "How do you do it?"

"Do what, babe?" Chloe asked as she slid closer, throwing an arm around the girl.

"Fucking _fix_ everything. You're like..."

"I told you, I'll be your glue if you'll be mine. You've done your fair share of piecing me back together, too. Only fair that I reciprocate." She quickly darted in to give Max a peck on the cheek. Max closed her eyes and grinned, slapping a hand right where Chloe's lips had just been.

"Are we a disgusting Nicholas Sparks couple?" She asked dreamily as she kneaded her cheek.

"I have no idea who that is, but we can be if you want." The punk rubbed a foot against Max's as the girl nodded in response. "So, how are you feeling, boo?"

"Still scared. Still nervous. But also a little optimistic...and I'm hungry."

_I'll take that._

"Amazingly," Chloe snickered, "there's actually pizza right here! How about that?"

"It's a miracle!" Max said excitedly in a hushed tone. She held her arms open wide and rolled into Chloe, burying her face in the punk's chest.

"Nah," the blue haired girl laughed, "you're the miracle." She quietly snorted and rolled her eyes.

_Yikes. What have you turned me into, Maxine Caulfield?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Note: I usually add little author's notes to the chapters on FF.net but just never carried the habit over when I uploaded the story here. However, I wanted to post this one.)
> 
> So, a bit of real talk here, guys. I know the last chapter may have left a sour taste in some people's mouths. I went back and forth between being really excited to really nervous about posting it. I have been so amazingly fortunate with this story – the overall reactions to it have been way better than I could have ever expected. But there has been one thing happening that has left me feeling conflicted. I have received numerous comments/reviews/PM's that have mentioned the story felt “too happy” compared to the source material. I don't think this was ever meant negatively, but I actually do take it as a criticism because it means that I haven't been doing as good a job as I thought I was. I think I may have overestimated my cleverness, believing that I was successfully using foreshadowing to allude that there may be darker things looming overhead. But instead, I think for some people, the last chapter may have felt like a completely unwarranted shift in tone. That's my fault, and I really do apologize if anyone feels like I've misled them.
> 
> It's actually kind of embarrassing how much work I've put into planning out this story. I don't want this to be set in stone, but I have enough that what has already been published may only be 1/4th of the content or LESS. Obviously, that is a fickle statement that is capable of changing at any moment based on a variety of factors, but as of now, that's how it's looking. My plan and approach to this story has always been to just kind of...keep it going while steadily working toward the ending I have in mind. The way it's structured allows me to insert purely fluff chapters along the spine of what I would consider the “main” plot. Now, the problem with this is that because I have such a far off view of where I'm headed, there's bound to be a disconnect somewhere with the readers and I need to do a better job of bridging that gap with my writing. I actually felt somewhat similarly when I first introduced NSFW elements to the story. Just this nagging feeling in the back of my head like I was...tricking people into something they may not have signed up for. So, I guess as just an official declaration, you can expect more sad stuff, more dark time stuff, more NSFW stuff, etc. But also much more fluff, much more Max and Chloe being cute with each other. And many, many more texts. I don't really have a hold on what “genre” this story is even meant to be. I know FF and AO3 force you to choose, but it feels very restrictive. The only genre I can really describe Ouroboros as is Pricefield. And on that note...
> 
> I might just be pretentious enough to care about “spoilers” in a fanfiction, but I have zero problems telling all of you right now that I have absolutely no intention or interest in ending this as a tragedy. I love Max and Chloe as characters, and like many of you, I want them to be happy. And they will be! That I can promise. Better yet, the resolution to this little arc in a chapter or two is something I've been on and off writing since before the fic started proper. I'm hoping it will make up for dreariness lately.
> 
> I really don't know if this whole thing was necessary, but that persistent voice in the back of my head convinced me to throw this out there. If even one person felt betrayed or misled, I want you to know I'm sorry and that I hope you'll continue on this journey with me. If you can't or won't, then that's also fine and I want to thank you so much for devoting literally any time at all to reading it. It's...still pretty surreal to see that people dig it. I'm so, so fucking grateful.


	30. Boss Fight

Max closed the door behind her and grumbled, adjusting her arm so that her bag slid off her shoulder and onto the floor with a thud. Muttering incoherently, she flopped onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow. To her delight, it smelled faintly of Chloe's shampoo.

_Stinkin' up my bed with her deliciousness. Maybe I can convince her to stay over tonight even though I just got a fuck ton of homework. I'll just bat my lashes extra hard._

She rolled on to her side and yawned, wiggling her hips to burrow herself into the covers. She plucked her phone out of her pocket as it buzzed.

**Kate:** LOL Max we were so bad in class today! I don't even know what we learned!

Kate was referring, of course, to Max's insistence that the two play games in their notebook throughout the class. She had started with tic-tac-toe, which then evolved into hangman. Max had definitely preferred this kind of noose as opposed to the last one she had seen in Kate's notebook. Kate managed to end in a win when Max's brain refused to believe the word in play was none other than 'penis.' The little blonde seemed particularly proud about her mischief there. She wasn't sure why she had decided to start playing games with Kate, and part of her felt a little bad about depriving her of the day's lesson, but over the past few days she had been trying to spend more and more time with her. As much as Chloe told her not to beat herself up over it, the nightmare Kate's questioning of their friendship had managed to eat away at her a bit.

_Well, I'm glad you had fun, Kate. Making you smile is one of my greatest achievements._

Just as Max began to respond, her bed started to rumble. No, not just her bed, but the entire room. It sped up, becoming more frantic so that the more dainty items in the room began to tremble with the vibrations. She sat up and looked around in confusion.

_What the fuck?_

She focused on Lisa's leaves as they fluttered, slowly slipping from the bed and walking over to them. The noise came next. It was a loud, mechanical groan that seemed to exacerbate the shaking of the room. As the roar grew louder, a sense of alarm finally dawned on Max and she raced for the door.

_Is this a fucking earthquake?!_

She yanked the door open and yelped as the view before her wasn't what she expected. Instead of the dorm hallway, she stared out into black abyss. The tremors and noise continued to escalate as a blinding light exploded in front of her, fading out to reveal the familiar scene of the junkyard train tracks. Her eyes, wired and afraid, followed along the rails until she spotted Chloe. The girl was struggling and crying, feverishly tugging at her ankle to pry it free. She looked up and made eye contact with Max and screamed for help. Her shriek was cut off as the train blocked Max's view, passing right by her door and continuing toward the punk with screeching brakes that spewed sparks.

_Oh, fuck! Not this! No!_

"Chloe!" Max screamed, leaning out from the doorway with her hand raised. In another moment, the train was gone, replaced with Chloe once again fighting with all her might to escape the tracks. Max lowered her hand and narrowed her eyes as the train came again, blocking her view of her girlfriend as it presumably ran her over. As the train disappeared again, another Chloe sat on the tracks, screaming in terror. They once again locked gazes, and even from far away Max could see the little bolts of horror scattering through the blue haired girl's eyes. Her chest became heavy with sadness, but it also ached with an all too familiar pain. She felt the lump in her throat build as the terrible roar of the train came near once again. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, taking a hasty step backward as she closed the door.

_Just a nightmare...Just a nightmare..._

"Just can't bear to watch, huh?" It was her voice asking the question in the most sarcastic tone possible. Max stumbled backward and glanced around the room, looking for its source. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to face her mirror. The reflection had a hand on her hip with a cruel smile splayed over her face and an entirely different outfit. "Just too hard to look at, right? Too hard to accept?" The anxiety tightened its grip, the sensation of blood in her veins chilling over and sprouting goosebumps along her skin. She stared at the Other Max in the mirror, giddily shaking her hips left and right. Max had gotten so used to seeing herself with her new piercing and her bullet necklace that the reflection without them provided an extra sense of unease. She absentmindedly reached up and grasped the bullet hanging around her neck. As she made contact with the surprisingly cool metal, the pain that had been filling up her head parted momentarily, allowing the memory of Chloe's impassioned request for Max to fight back to emerge. "What?" The Other Max asked impatiently. "Too much? You can watch hundreds of Kate's die but a few Chloe's and you're done?"

"No," Max said through gritted teeth. She forced herself to relax a bit and exhaled a scoff through her nose, smirking at the Other Max. "Just bored." Her reflection dropped the acrid smile and stared back with an intense anger.

"Bored?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah," the brunette said coolly. "I'm not scared of you."

"Now, I know for a fact you were raised to know that lying is wrong, Max. We're the same, remember?" The Other Max said. It was true – Max was still very much afraid, but she promised Chloe she'd fight it. Even if the Other Max could know what she was thinking, she was determined to brute force through it. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the mirror showed her actual reflection. She took a step forward to analyze it before hearing a voice from behind her. "You're really into this amazing little theory she cooked up, huh?" She turned around to find the Other Max standing by the window with her arms crossed, looking out into the blurry, orange walls past the glass.

"Wait a second," Max smiled. "Are you...actually bothered by that? She's right, isn't she?"

"No!" The Other Max shouted, whipping around to face the girl. "I'm just fucking disappointed that you still can't accept the truth. Instead of actually making peace with the fact that you've pulled reality apart, you're diving cinder block shoes first into some fantastical bullshit that Chloe cooked up in ten minutes." Max stared at her, trying her best to simultaneously seem imposing while inwardly fending off the sludge of panic.

"I don't think so," she said. "You wouldn't be this upset. Why would you care if she wasn't right?"

"How can you possibly believe her!?" The doppelganger lurched toward her angrily. "Have you seriously forgotten all the bullshit she put you through during that week?"

" _What_ bullshit, though?" Max asked, crossing her arms as she perked an eyebrow. She was beginning to feel more comfortable and confident. "Because we played with my powers? The ones I didn't ask for? The ones that activated when Chloe was killed?" Now she stepped toward the Other Max, leaning forward as she viciously bared her teeth. "Sorry, but I'm not buying the antichrist spiel anymore. I didn't ask for this to happen, it just fucking did. So I could **save her**." As she spat the last words out, the Other Max winced, tightly gripping into her own arm as she squinted at Max. "Everything you've thrown at me, Chloe has been able to fix. So, yeah, you know what? Take your best fucking swing because I'm not fucking scared anymore." This time, she almost even meant it. The Other Max recoiled, her eyes filling up with hatred. She grunted as a small crack dashed across her face, splitting her cheek open.

"As usual," she mocked quietly as she held a hand against her cheek, "you think you have all the answers. So, Chloe made it so you could feel good about being a photographer? She made it so you weren't afraid of rain? That's really fucking swell, Max. But I _know_ you. There are still things she can't even fix." The Other Max let it linger only for a moment. "I know why you haven't been able to fuck her." At that, Max's fight began to slip, the girl gasping quietly. Behind her, she heard the door knob turn, followed by the slow creak of the door opening. She maintained eye contact with the Other Max even as she was submerged in the head splitting pain once again, the one that accompanied all of her nosebleeds. The girl simply grinned at her in a twisted manner.

" _Ohhhh,_ _Max_ ," a shivered, delighted voice said from behind her. She could hear the quiet clicks of a camera.

"No," the small girl begged quietly, clenching her fists as she looked down at the floor. "Not him. Please."

"Max, could you please turn around? I don't like that I can't see your beautiful face," Jefferson said. Max remained still, only glancing up to see the sick look of enjoyment on her copy's face. "I'm not mad that you let David kill me, Max. Really. No hard feelings." The noise from the camera became louder, each click sending a shiver through Max's body. "Max," his voice took on a note of irritation, "please turn around. Don't make me dose you. You promised you'd cooperate." The brunette squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"Look at you shaking!" The Other Max laughed as she pointed. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you're not scared of me, huh?" Max felt herself tremble as the camera snaps picked up their pace. She took a deep breath and focused, trying to will herself out of whatever stupor she had fallen into. "Teach got your tongue?" The evil Max asked. "Oh, well..." She chuckled. "In some timelines, I guess you _did_ give it to him willingly." The pain in her head exploded as her knees buckled.

"Fine," she said, focusing on her doppelganger. "You managed to make _me_ afraid again. Congrats. Wow. So cool. Much fierce." The Other Max cocked her head in confusion at the brunette's continued defiance. "But Chloe's not scared of you. She figured you out and now you're just doing your best to keep me here. You're grasping at straws. I might be scared...but so are you." She turned and confronted the open door, though all she could make out was a glistening pair of glasses swaying left and right in the darkness. Taking a deep breath, she charged to the door and slammed it shut. "We're the same, right? That's what you keep saying. So, you're scared too. Scared of being beaten," she said as she faced the shocked Other Max.

"You can't _beat_ me, Max," the reflection replied with annoyance.

"Never said I could," she responded. "But _she_ can. And clearly," she gestured to the out of breath copy, "she is." The Other Max shuddered as a another crack dashed along her forehead, branching out as it crawled over her left eye and nose. With a hint of alarm, she gingerly touched her nose and scowled.

"You have to accept what you've done!" Other Max screamed, throwing her hand up and beckoning the door open once more. Before it was fully open, Max caught it with her hand, not breaking eye contact as she slammed it shut.

"Gladly," Max said. She approached the Other Max and leaned into her face. "I accept that I saved Chloe Price. Are you happy?" The doppelganger shrieked in agony as yet another crack darted from her chin across her lips. Max crossed her arms, grimacing at the twitching twin before her. "Wow, and you call me pathetic?"

"You can't ignore this forever..." The Other Max said breathlessly. "It's going to happen. Everything's going to collapse."

"Sorry," Max said. "Like I said, I'm not interested in what you're selling. Let alone that you're missing the point." The reflection simply stared. "It doesn't matter. I _have_ Chloe. I wouldn't trade that for anything. Fuck your make believe consequences." The Other Max shivered as a trail of blood began to seep from her nose. As she touched it, she looked at Max, her expression finally registering true, unfiltered fear. "Wow, I almost feel bad for you," Max said. "Fine," she said with a smirk as she faced the door, "we'll play your little game." She reached for the handle.

"No, wait!" The Other Max begged, thrusting her hand out to stop the girl. She jerked the door open quickly...

"Woah, are you fucking psychic now?" Chloe asked. She stood in the hallway with her hand in a fist, like she was just about to knock on the door. Max gasped and turned around, but her twin was nowhere to be found. Everything was normal again. She faced Chloe in complete shock.

"Chloe? Is that you? For real?"

"I mean," the punk looked down at herself, "I think so? I'm not up to speed on secret clone technology, so I guess the possibility is there."

"You...smartass..." Max sighed out a small laugh and clasped a hand to her head. Her knees grew weak once more and she slipped forward, but Chloe caught her.

_Always there to catch me..._

"Shit, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah yeah...I'm fine," the brunette said. "Just trust fallin'. You passed." Chloe shook her head with a warm smile, but it was erased as her eyes grew wide.

"Fuck, Max, your-"

"I know, babe," Max said, swiping a finger beneath her bloody nose. The pain in her head was still there, but fading. Chloe continued cursing under her breath as she carried Max to her bed.

"Max, what happened?" She asked with worry.

"I...fought back," Max chuckled. When Chloe only grew more concerned, Max leaned up to kiss her cheek. "Don't worry," she said. "You should see the other me."

* * *

"How can someone so tiny be such a badass?" Chloe asked as she combed through Max's hair. The brunette was lying with her head in the girl's lap. Max rolled onto her back and stared up at her.

"Took a lot out of me," she admitted. "I'm totally beat."

"Still, you pulled yourself out of it! That's hella hardcore, Max." The blue haired girl let out a surprisingly childish giggle as she swung her feet. "Holy fuck, you are so goddamned amazing."

"You are!" Max shot back, raising her finger to Chloe's nose.

"Argh," she groaned. "I'm not just trying to sweet talk you, babe! I mean, you are seriously fucking amazing! An absolute goddess." Max blushed and burrowed her face into Chloe's stomach.

_A goddess, huh? I guess I'll take it._

"Well," the brunette sat up and shifted so her legs dangled off the bed, "at least now I know I can actually fight back, right? I just hope it...slows down. I can't make this a frequent thing." Chloe thought it over and nodded.

"Maybe you're done?"

"I don't...think so," Max scowled. "It still feels like it's in there." She closed one eye and looked at Chloe, then shrugged. "I just worry..."

"Worry about what?" Chloe asked as she wrapped an arm around her. Max began to speak, then laughed and shook her head.

"I don't know, man. This is stupid." She let her head rest on the punk's shoulder. "I just kind of have that feeling that I pissed her...it...whatever, off. So, next time it'll be extra bad. As if my own mind can retaliate against me with free will?"

"You got this, kitten," Chloe encouraged with a big smile. "We'll put some brass knuckles in your boxing gloves." She held out a fist, the smaller girl bumping it with a smirk.

"With you in my corner, I don't think I can lose."

"I mean, worst comes to worst, tag me in and I'll dome that bitch with a chair," Chloe laughed.

"Undefeated tag team champions," Max agreed with a nod. She placed her hands on the punk's shoulders and straddled her. She snirked as she poked the girl's scalp. "Look at all this blonde hair creeping up."

"Yeah, I need to touch it up," Chloe said. She wrapped her arms around Max's waist and pulled her against her body, burrowing her face into the brunette's chest. "Yo, man, why are your boobs covered?" She asked innocently.

"It's called a shirt. Isn't it neat?" She chuckled as the blue haired girl pulled on the collar, exposing some chest for her to kiss.

"Kinda hate it, to be honest," the punk muttered against her neck. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Hey, Max, you in there?" It was Warren. Chloe huffed as her head fell back, causing Max to laugh.

_Dangit Warren but why._

"Yeah! Come in," she responded.

"Oh shoot! Sorry, Chloe I didn't know you were here. I'm not...uh...interrupting anything am I?" He asked nervously.

"Nothin' that I won't resume later," Chloe shot back. Max rolled off of her lap next to her. The punk narrowed her eyes at the boy and grew a big smile. "So...what brings you to girls' dormitory?" She snickered and slung her leg over her knee, assuming a position of dominance. "I mean, what's up, man? What's going on in your world? Anything interesting?" Her smile shifted into a predatory grin as Max watched her in confusion.

_What is her deal?_

"Man," Warren huffed as his face turned a dark red. "How could you possibly know?"

"Know what?" Max asked, glancing between the two, but she was ignored.

"Well, your hair is messier than usual. Your face is flushed," she chuckled, "and I mean, your belt is undone." The boy glanced down at his waist and yelped as he finished buckling his belt.

"I'm gonna go, actually," he muttered as he turned back to the door. "Gotta go...die of embarrassment. In the corner, probably."

"No, no, no," Chloe cackled as she leaped off the bed and in front of him, blocking him from leaving the room. "Warren," she said, bowing her head in sincerity. "I care about you. We're friends. We're bros! So, as someone who cares about you..." She placed a hand on his shoulder as she smiled ear to ear. "Did you get it _fuckin'_ in!?" Max watched the two, finally catching up to what Chloe was insinuating.

"Oh my gawwwd," Max shouted with pink cheeks and pointed at the boy. "What has she done to you?!"

_BROOKE NO_

"I was just coming to say hi," he complained.

"Answer question!" Chloe demanded with her hand in the air, primed for a high-five.

"No, okay!? We did...other things," he said, the sentence slurring into a mumble. "I'm not talking about this with you guys!"

"Oh _really_?" Chloe asked, striking a commanding pose. "And who are you going to talk to? Dish, little War-War. I want details."

"I do not want details!" Max flailed her hands. "Warren is a baby! He's only seventeen! This...this is unholy! I'm calling Kate!"

"Oh, Jesus Christ," he grumbled as he buried his face into his hands. "It's like you're my parents."

"Yes," Chloe agreed. "She's the prudish mother who won't kick her babies out of the nest." She pointed at Max, with the girl returning a pout. "And I'm the hip as fuck dad who wants to congratulate his son on tappin' that ass."

_I'm not prudish!_

"There was no tapping!" He argued with his hands in the air. Max placed her fingers into her ears and began to loudly _sing_ the Imperial March. Both Chloe and Warren looked at her in confusion and burst into laughter.

"Okay, fine," Chloe laughed as she tossed a pillow from the couch at Max. "But, seriously," she playfully punched his shoulder, "if you ever need to talk about this kind of stuff, I'm here for you." For added effect, she licked the palm of her hand and began to straighten his hair. He simply closed his eyes and sighed as Max giggled.

_Okay, in fairness...he probably doesn't have anyone else to talk to about this stuff... Wow, he and Chloe actually are 'bros.' Seriously, stuff like this...how can I really believe we didn't fix things?_

"Hm, oh yeah," Max said. "Once you're done being groomed by Momma Price, I do have some things to catch you up on." Warren's expression immediately became concerned, even more so when he glanced at Chloe to evaluate hers.

"Okay," he said, sitting down on the couch. "I'm all ears, Max."

* * *

"Holy fuck," Warren mumbled quietly once Max had finished her story.

"Yeah, pretty much," she replied. She sat cross-legged on her bed while Chloe was splayed out on the floor. She noticed how uncomfortable the girl got when she was telling the story, flinching a little any time Max described the pain and discomfort she had been in. Which hurt Max's heart, but also made her love her even more.

"Wow, I'm so impressed, Chloe," he said, gesturing to the punk. "You thought of all that by yourself?"

"Yeah," she said, blushing a bit. "I mean, we don't know that it's true, but it just made sense to me..."

"Well, it's working," Max added, finally launching a pillow counterattack at the blue haired girl. "She's too modest. She's always saving me." She winked at Warren.

"I never thought I'd hear that word used to describe me," she quipped back snarkily.

_Yeah, well, me either you li'l bitch._

"Well, regardless of its true or exactly right or whatever, if it works then you should keep it up," Warren said. "Besides, I don't...I mean, we've established that I don't know shit, but I don't understand this multiverse collapsing concept." Max raised her eyebrow curiously. "Why wouldn't something so horrible and cataclysmic happen immediately? I don't know why time would be confined by another layer of...time? With the storm, you think it's because you kept using your powers, right? But this doesn't have that qualifier." He squinted and shrugged. "And, if your nightmares are based around your fears...I kind of did bring up the universes colliding thing. So, that might be my bad. Uh...sorry..."

"Mouth quiet," Chloe commanded from the floor. "Don't blame yourself. We're all in this together."

"Agreed!" Max cheered. "You've been totally awesome handling this stuff, Warren."

"Not gonna lie, part of me is still waiting for you guys to throw a bunch of confetti in the air and shout 'gotcha!'" He shook his head as he chuckled. "Fucking time travel what the hell. It's so crazy... We all dream of having powers like time travel and mind control, but once you actually think about it, it's...so fucked up and scary. Spider-Man was right!"

"I would like to be able to climb on walls though, that sounds pretty fun," Max added with a pout. There was yet another knock on the door, but this one quiet. She could tell who it was just from the timidity of the knock.

"It's Kate," Max said quietly with a smile. "Come on in!" She shouted.

"Oh! Hi, guys!" Kate greeted, waving at Chloe and Warren. The two waved back, though Chloe did so in a grandiose, frantic manner. "I just wanted to..." She looked at Max, then glanced down to the paper in her hands, her fingers tightening enough to scrunch the edges. "Um," she said with a hint of blush, "I thought you might be alone..."

"Everything okay, Kate?" Max asked as she got up from the bed. "Do you want to talk outside for a minute?"

"No, no! I guess this is just a little embarrassing. I, uh," she held the paper out for Max sheepishly, "drew you a picture." It was a drawing of her and Kate hugging with the letters 'BFF'' written in a big, balloon style at the top. Max 'aww'd' and held it against her chest.

_Too good for this world._

"Kate, this is adorable. I will treasure it forever."

"Can I see?" Chloe asked excitedly. Max looked to Kate for approval, which she gave shyly. "Oh my fuck," the punk squealed. "This is awesome, sweetie." She held the drawing up for Warren to see. Max headed over to her desk and picked up her camera, bounding back to Kate and putting an arm around her shoulder.

"I wanna trade," she said as she held the camera over their heads. The two girls smiled and she took the picture. She flicked it until the image became clear, examined it for a moment, then handed it Kate.

"This is so sweet," the blonde chirped as her face grew more flushed. "I'm going to frame it!" She eyed Max for a moment and giggled. "This is going to sound silly, but you're kind of my hero, Max." The brunette recoiled in surprise as she was flooded with vulnerability.

"You're...hero?" She asked.

_But I didn't even do anything._

"Well, yeah..." She shrugged cutely. "I mean, you've always been so nice to me. And you're so cool, like you're authentic. You're special."

"Wowser, Kate..." Max felt self-conscious and completely unworthy of the title. She gripped her elbow as her shoulders shrunk down.

"Mine too," Chloe added as she draped her arms over the girl's shoulders, issuing a sweet kiss to her cheek. "Saved my life," she said quietly, leaning so her lips hovered directly next to Max's ear.

"Super Max," Warren agreed with a nod. Max glanced around, the attention making her slightly uneasy. Then, she smiled and laughed.

"You guys need higher standards," she joked.

_I...think that about proves it. Hope you're listening, evil Max. I'm an Everyday Hero._

Suddenly, there was a high pitched scream, causing all of them to jump. Kate immediately turned to open the door and raced into the hallway, quickly followed by the rest.

_Oh Jesus, what now?_

"Jul!" Dana screamed as she kicked Juliet's door. The girl was frantically pulling on her jacket with a flustered Trevor next to her.

"Dana!" Kate called as she took off down the hall. "Is everything okay!?" The cheerleader stopped and looked confusedly at the group before bursting into laughter.

"Oh my god, sorry," she squeaked through her hysterics. "I'm just excited!" She turned back to Juliet's door and pounded on it twice before the girl opened it, looking disgruntled. She opened her mouth to speak, but Dana reached forward and latched onto her shoulders. "It's fucking snowing!" She looked back at Max and the rest. "Come on! It's the first snow of the year!"

* * *

Max leaned into Chloe, resting her head on the punk's shoulder as they and several other students stood in the courtyard watching the snowflakes fall.

"Fuckin' snow!" Dana shouted, skipping around in circles with her arms triumphantly in the air.

"It's _barely_ snowing," Juliet said as she rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you pulled me away from my new story for this."

"Ah, lighten up, Juls," Trevor laughed. He positioned himself in Dana's path and bent over, catching the girl over his shoulder on her next rotation in the circle. She squealed in delight as he began to spin her around.

"It's actually supposed to snow pretty hard," Warren said, holding his hand out flat. "I mean, a couple inches, nothing too crazy." The chaos in the hallway had alerted Brooke and several of the other girls to what was going on, so she now took her spot next to Warren. Max snickered to herself when the girl took his other hand into her own.

_Cute, but not as cute as me and Chlo._

"I fucking hate snow," Victoria said as she appeared next to Max. She dramatically rubbed her arms as she shivered.

"You didn't have to come outside," Max replied with an eye roll.

"They made me," she said dryly, pointing at Courtney and Kate who were both spinning in circles with their tongues out as they stared up into the overcast sky.

"She twisted your _other_ arm?" Chloe asked with a shit eating grin. Max opened her mouth like 'oh snap' and giggled.

"You guys suck," Victoria pouted. She turned her nose up at the girls and walked away toward Courtney and Kate. Warren and Brooke had wandered away as well, leaving Max and Chloe alone.

"We should build a snowman," Chloe said as she squeezed Max against her. "And do the blood ritual to make him Frosty."

"I never understood why Frosty needed a pipe," the brunette replied with a smile, tilting her head up to receive a kiss from her girlfriend. "He can't smoke, he'd melt."

"Yes, Max. That's where the logic about the magic snowman fails." Chloe booped her on the nose as she laughed. "Not the magic part."

"Hey," Max responded quietly, but with snark. "I don't think we're in a position to shit talk magic." At that, both girls seemed to have the same realization. They remembered the last time the two of them saw snow. Max's expression softened as she frantically searched for the punk's hands, threading their fingers together. Chloe just stared at her with a look Max now associated with 'love overload.' "Hey," Max said as she held one hand interlocked with Chloe's up. "How come your fingers were made for me?"

_Seriously, her cute fingers are meant to be locked with my dumb ones. I definitely got the better end of this deal!_

"Wow," Chloe whispered. She noticed the girl had been softly crying.

"Baby?" Max asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Man," she laughed as she briefly turned away from the brunette. "Can't a girl let a few tears out and it not be a big deal?"

"But if they're sad tears, I need to fix it," Max said as she reached for the punk's cheek and wiped them away. Chloe snorted in feigned disgust, then lifted Max off the ground. "Woah, hey!"

"You're fucking ridiculous," Chloe mocked. "Like you can actually say something like that and not even notice how devastatingly adorable it was."

"Well," Max grunted as she wrapped her legs around Chloe's waist. "I'm a tactical nuke of cute, I guess." She brought their noses together and swished from side to side, eliciting an enormous grin from the blue haired girl. "But seriously, why are you crying?"

"Just thinking about that week," she said. "We went through fucking hell together and..." She closed her eyes as more tears formed, her lip quivering. "It breaks my heart that you didn't make it all the way out yet, you know? I wish I could do more. I feel like I abandoned you." The wording was so exact, Max could feel her chest swell with a sadness.

"Babe..." Max whimpered. She couldn't help it. She dove in for a kiss and felt how Chloe pressed against her lips with desperation. As they broke the kiss, she rested her forehead against the punk's. "I mean," she reached one hand beneath her and placed it on Chloe's as she stared intensely into her eyes, "from this view, it looks a lot like heaven to me."

"Fuckin' mushroom cloud," Chloe laughed. She sighed, her breath splashing against Max's lips. "Max, you are my everything." Max puffed out her bottom lip, her eyes falling half lidded in pure admiration.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price," she said as she brought a hand to the girl's cheek. "You better start saving up your money." She giggled soundlessly as the punk arched an eyebrow in confusion. She kissed her on the nose and smiled. "I want my fucking ring."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the kind words in regards to my author's note last chapter. You're all wonderful! <3 <3


	31. A Darker Room

It had been two days since the snow first fell and Max successfully fended off her nightmare. Despite her apprehension of its return, they had actually been rather pleasant – on Thursday, she and Kate helped Dana put up Christmas decorations around the dorm and today was spent watching schlocky horror movies with Chloe, Warren and Brooke. After their double date, Max had wanted Chloe to stay over but as usual, much to her chagrin, the punk went home so she could do some schoolwork. Her retaliation consisted of several pouting selfie texts as she posed with her textbooks. After getting her fill of information, she peacefully fell asleep – only half worried about what her dreams would entail.

Several explosive knocks berated the door, startling Max awake. Instinctively, she swiped a finger below her nose, content to find that it was dry. She reached beside her and tapped on her phone, bringing an intense white light into the room. The clock read 3:48 AM. She sighed and fell onto her back, closing her eyes once more.

_Stupid sleep, come back to me._

Bang, bang, bang came the knocks again. She sat up quickly, flicking the switch to turn on the lanterns above her bed. Groggily, she slid out of bed and headed for the door. Rubbing at one of her eyes, she pulled it open, revealing the silhouette of her girlfriend.

"Chloe? It's like almost four in the morning, what are you..." Her voice trailed off as she got a better sight of the girl, standing slouched over and heaving with tears. "Chloe? What's wrong?"

"Sorry..." She said quietly, taking a small step into the room. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry..." Her voice was small and restricted. Max noticed she wasn't wearing a jacket, just her t-shirt and sweatpants. She glanced down to see she was also barefoot.

"Baby, what's going on?" She reached out for her but the girl fell to her knees, wrapping both arms around Max's waist and pressing her face forcefully into her abdomen.

"Should have been there," she squeaked, her voice tangled with the cloth of Max's shirt. Max gently cupped her cheek, feeling how cold she was. She stepped backward, with the blue haired girl shuffling her knees to keep attached, and quietly closed the door. "I should have been there..." she repeated.

"Chloe, I don't understand," Max said. "Baby? What's wrong?" In any scenario, this sort of thing would obviously worry Max, but something about how detached she seemed added another layer of uneasiness. She slid a hand through the girl's hair. Suddenly, Chloe unleashed an agonized, loud sob and began to cry hard. The brunette felt the grip on her waist tighten considerably, almost knocking the air out of her. "Chloe!" She whispered frantically. "Please talk to me." She felt the girl simply shake her head against her stomach.

_What is going on? She came all the way here without getting dressed...she's like a zombie._

"Sorry," Chloe whimpered again, hugging Max even tighter. "I should have been there. I..." She spasmed, releasing another sob. "Oh god, oh my fucking god, that fucking psycho! I'll fucking kill him! I'll..." Her sentence was butchered by her cries. "I'll fucking tear him apart. How dare he touch you like that?!" A dark feeling swarmed into Max's heart as realization struck her.

_Oh fuck, no. No! FUCK! Not this!_

"Chloe!" Max shrieked, dropping to the floor next to the punk and engulfing her in a hug. "I _never_ wanted you to see that! You...you should have never seen that!"

"I'm so sorry, Max!" Chloe wailed. Max pulled her closely, feeling her own nerve begin to slip away. She could envision the flashes of the camera. Feel the sting in her neck. "It was my fault, my fault, should have been there, should have saved you, should..."

"Shhh, stop," Max hushed, leaving a kiss in the girl's visible blonde roots. "God, I'm so sorry you had to see that. Chloe, it wasn't your fault." She rested her chin on Chloe's head and closed her eyes.

"It was _all_ my fault, Max! All of it!" She bundled her fist tightly and swung at her temple, sending a reverberation through Max's jaw. The brunette quickly grabbed her by the head.

"Stop it! Don't fucking _do_ that! Jesus, Chloe!" She wrapped both arms around her and fell on to her back, pulling Chloe down with her. "Stop it, just stop, please," she begged. She felt a hand slide against her wrist, little finger prods lightly tapping against it.

"Your little wrists," she whined, "your pretty wrists." Chloe tenderly dragged Max's hand to her mouth, spreading a thousand feathery kisses along her wrist. "Tied you up," she choked the words out.

"I...I know, babe, but I'm here now. We're together. That's the mantra, right?" She felt a pressure ebb into her head, spreading out through her mind like an ocean of oil. "Chloe..."

_This is the last thing I ever wanted to happen._

"It was my fault," she said again, looking up at Max. The small light provided by her lanterns reflected from Chloe's teary, blue eyes. "Oh god, Max, I dragged you into the whole fucking thing. It was all my fault. _I_ did this!"

"It _wasn't_ ," Max said sternly. "It was just...it was just how things happened. Not your fault." She felt a finger drift up her chest, slowly tracing its way to the side of her neck.

"Needle," the girl mumbled before burying her face once again in Max's stomach. She took a large breath and unleashed a muffled, ragged scream. "Fuck! FUCK! I can't believe this! I can't _do_ this!" She continued to violently sob, slamming her first into the carpet in frustration.

"Chloe, stop, please," she begged, gripping the girl's locks. "Please...I'm okay. I'm here now." She reached below her, feeling for the crooks of Chloe's armpits. Once she had a hold, she used every ounce of strength she had to pull the girl higher, shifting herself so they were next to each other on the floor. "Chlo..." She said, staring into the girl's eyes. She brushed some of the hair out of her face.

"I can't stop seeing it," the blue haired girl whispered, her eyes frantically flickering left and right. "I can't stop seeing it... You needed me and I wasn't there!"

"I need you _now_ and you're here," Max responded, stroking the girl's cheek. The dull pain in her head fluctuated, sending flashes of Jefferson's smile ricocheting through her thoughts. "Need you now," she repeated, realizing how true it was. Chloe's lip trembled as she reached for Max's face, chasing away the tears she didn't realize she was creating.

"I want to kill him," she said, her voice barely registering. "I want to...fucking stab him in the fucking chest over and over until he stops breathing. He's evil. He's...just evil!" Her eyes darted to the side. "David was too nice. Gun was too good. He needs to suffer for what he did to you. He _hurt_ you, Max!" She said it as if the brunette was unaware. "He hurt my baby..."

"I'm okay now," Max reiterated, though the feeling in her head begged otherwise. At any moment, she expected to taste blood or hear Chloe gasp or swear. She ran a hand along the blue haired girl's arm. "Baby, you're freezing. You look like your hair." She prayed that she'd get a chuckle, anything to lighten the mood. She didn't.

_I hate these fucking time dreams so much._

"You were so scared...I should have been there. You didn't deserve that. It's not fair, Max," Chloe said, her eyes flashing back and forth between Max's nose and her eyes. "You went through so much..."

_She's expecting it too..._

"To be together," she replied, scooting closer. "Chloe, if that's what had to happen for us to be _here_ then, well..."

"Don't fucking say it, oh my god, please don't," Chloe pleaded as she violently shook her head, sobbing at the mere suggestion. "No, no, no! _Nothing_ is worth that! I'd get fucking shot a million times in the fucking face if it meant I could undo that!"

" _Hey_ ," Max barked angrily. "Now you shut up. Jesus, Chloe, why are you so willing to throw your life away? Why do you say things like that?"

"Until you came back, that's what I wanted..." Chloe said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "You have no idea, Max. I was _so_ fucked up. Do you know what it's like to be disappointed to open your eyes every morning? To actually fucking _pray_ to a god you don't believe inthat you'll die in your sleep so you don't have to deal with this fucked up thing called life anymore?" The admission zipped through Max's heart. It was something she had subconsciously wondered about for a while. Maybe she even knew for sure. But that didn't make hearing it any easier. She began to cry heavily, her grip around Chloe tightening into a vice, petrified that the girl would blink out of existence. Chloe cried with her as she rested her head on the carpet. "You know, I actually..." Her face tightened into a pained expression as she gritted her teeth. "Before I knew it was you, there was a small part of me that was disappointed Nathan didn't shoot me. I know I was scared and didn't want him to, but that thought _still_ existed somewhere in my head. I was _that_ bad."

_I can't handle this. It's breaking my heart._

"Chloe, please," Max said, though she wasn't sure what she was asking for. The pain extended itself into her stomach, slipping its fingers over her ribs as it tugged.

"But then I saw you!" Chloe said it in awe. "You coming back was a total wake up call. You were the _only_ reason I didn't just...fucking detest my fucking pulse anymore. So, yeah, I would die for you. Without a doubt. Without a second of hesitation."

"Chloe..." Max sat up, her eyes wired and still producing tears. "I don't want you to die for me. I'd never ask that..." She closed her eyes and she saw her, a tattered image of the Other Max wearing a broken, terrible grin as blood poured from her nostrils. She mouthed something, and though it was voiceless, Max understood the message: 'Isn't that what you did?' She let out a small yelp and clutched at her head. "Go away," she accidentally said out loud. Chloe sat up with her, concern brewing in her eyes.

_Go away. Go away! Not now! Please!_

"Max? What is it?" She reached for the girl's chin.

"Nothing, just..." She shook her head, erasing the image of the Other Max from her mind. Still, the black, heavy feeling spread through her body. "Chloe, I don't want you to die for me. I want you to live _with_ me." Chloe blinked slowly, then moved closer, bringing their lips together in a tragic kiss.

Max leaned into it, bringing both hands to the girl's cheeks. Chloe scooted closer, wrapping her arm around the brunette's waist as her other hand softly settled on the spot of her neck that Jefferson had defiled with the syringe. Max could taste the salt of both of their tears as her lips parted, hungrily pleading for Chloe to advance. She fell onto her back again, the punk hovering above her as their kiss grew in intensity. A uneasy feeling bloomed in her stomach. Fighting it, she latched onto Chloe's shirt and pulled her down on top of her.

" _You were going to let her die..."_ She could hear the Other Max mock.

"I love you so much," Chloe said as she broke the kiss. "Love you so, so fucking much. You mean the world to me." She dove back in, crashing their lips together once again. Max's feet twitched about, sliding against Chloe's frozen feet, still wet from walking through the snow. Her head throbbed, pulsating outward as she winced. "Are you okay?" Chloe asked, backing off. Max sat up, smashing a palm to her temple.

_Stop. Stop! STOP!_

"I love you too," she replied, ignoring the question. She moved to kiss her again, but the blue haired girl evaded her.

"Max, stop. Are you okay?" The brunette watched, disgusted with herself as Chloe was forced to shuffle her pain to the back of her mind, once again putting Max before herself. She glanced around her, shooting to her feet when she located the tissue box on the desk. "I'm sorry," she said. "Me bringing this up...I probably caused this. I'm sorry." She plucked several tissues out of the box and turned around, recoiling as Max smashed into her, greedily stealing another kiss.

_Ignore it. Ignore it._

"Max?" Chloe asked, peeling the smaller girl off of her. "I don't want to make out while you're like this. I want you to be okay." She studied the girl's face, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw no trace of blood.

"Chloe," Max breathed, pulling close to her again. "Chloe, I love you. I love you. I love you." She kissed the punk's forehead, cheeks, nose. "I love you, okay? I really want you to know that." A sharp pain slid through her temple, causing her knees to buckle. "Fuck," she spat.

"Shit," Chloe cursed, wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulder and walking her to her bed. She sat down with her. "What is it, Max?"

"I have to fight it," Max said slowly. "Have to fight it." She reached for Chloe, stroking her cheek with tears in her eyes. "I love you. I love you. That's _all_ that matters. I love you."

"I love you too," Chloe responded, pulling her legs underneath her as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Max, I really do. I love you. We...we went through so much shit, but we're here. We're together. And I'm going to marry you and we're going to grow old together and I love you." Max felt the pain suddenly whimper out of existence, before roaring back again a second later. She stared longingly at the punk.

"Chloe..." She snatched the girl's collar and yanked her forward. "I love you," she said, pressing back into another kiss. Again, the pressure seemed to disperse, recollecting itself after a brief moment.

_I'm...I'm winning?_

"I love you too," Chloe said as the kiss pulled apart. Max attacked again, straddling the girl and awkwardly pinning her against the wall. She bit her lip, sucking it as she tore a hand through the blue hair. She felt Chloe's hands press against her chest, trying to offer resistance. Quickly, Max grabbed both of her wrists and redirected her hands, thrusting them onto her breasts.

"Woah, woah woah,," Chloe exhaled when Max allowed her to come up for air. "What are you doing?" The brunette glanced around wildly, a teensy smile building in her cheeks.

"I...think I'm winning," she said, hastily pulling one of Chloe's hands under her shirt. She seized for a moment as she felt the girl's fingers graze against her nipple. Once more, the ache in her body seemed to blink out. She let go of a small laugh. "I love you," she rasped, grasping the bottom of Chloe's shirt. Looking confused and worried, but compliant, the punk raised her arms straight up. Max feverishly tore upward, yanking Chloe's shirt off. She threw it to the floor and lurched forward, sucking her collarbone.

"M-Max..." Chloe's voice was concerned but the tint of bliss was noticeable. "Are you sure?" Max could feel the disgusting, black feeling receding in her limbs. She began to laugh angelically.

"Oh god, Chloe," she said, drifting kisses along the the girl's neck. "I'm sure. I'm so sure. Hella sure." She leaned back and pulled her shirt off, exposing her chest. She cupped the punk's cheeks, staring deep into her eyes. "I'm winning," she said again. She looked around her slowly, as if taking in the moment. "Chloe, I love you."

"I...love you, Max. What do you mean you're winning?" She shook her head. "What's going on?"

"It's going away," Max breathed, scooting closer to her lover. She kissed Chloe's throat as she massaged the punk's breast with one of her hands, prompting a minute moan. She slid her other hand along the girl's ribs, stopping when she felt the rough patch of scar tissue from the bullet. She broke contact so she could analyze the spot.

_The hole to another universe._

"It's...kind of ugly, huh?" Chloe asked with a tone of embarrassment.

"It's beautiful," Max corrected, lowering herself to kiss the scar. "It's beautiful like the rest of you." She pressed her palm against it as she turned her attention back to Chloe's neck. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she whispered between her kisses. She pulled back and stared into Chloe's eyes again. "You know I would keep trying, right? I would never let you go. Ever."

"I...know," she said quietly, nodding weakly as if ashamed to admit it. Max kissed her again, feeling the rattle of the remaining pain in her bones.

_I'm glad she knows. She needs to know. I would do anything to keep her._

"Chloe," she said it carefully, taking a deep breath. "I...I want to do it. Now." The punk's jaw slacked open as her brows knitted together.

"N-now? Are you sure?" She pulled both arms up to her chest, as if afraid touching anything would break it. "I don't...I don't want to make your nose bleed!" Max rigorously shook her head.

"You won't," she said confidently. Gently, she grabbed Chloe's hand and situated it around her wrist. She tried to pull away, but Max's grip was steel. "No, stop, look..." She let her hand fade away. The two sat there in silence, with Chloe's hand wrapped around the smaller girl's wrist. The blue haired girl breathed heavily, her eyes aflame with concern. After a small, tense moment, Max giggled. "It's working, see...it's not bad anymore. It's, it's like..."

"Overwrite saved data?" Chloe said, the inflection framing it more as a question.

"Yes," Max confirmed, nodding her head. She took another deep breath. "Are...are _you_ ready?" Chloe stared dumbfounded as she thought over the question, then she smiled.

"Yeah...yeah, I am," she said, releasing her grip on Max's wrist. She slid her arms around Max's neck and pressed their noses together. "Yes, I'm ready. I'm ready. I want to be yours, Max. I love you." She kissed her again lovingly, the world around them burning out of focus. Max smiled into the kiss, opening her mouth as Chloe's tongue prodded forth.

Deep in her mind, it was as though a valve was opened. The shadows coursing through her veins began to recede rapidly, whirling and screaming as they circled a drain. In another moment, they were gone, and all that was left was...her.

_Chloe..._

Max broke the kiss and giggled with childlike wonder. She rested their foreheads together, smiling with reckless abandon as Chloe mirrored the expression. She nipped at Chloe's nose before reclining back into her sheets. The blue haired girl followed, though she stayed lower as she trailed kisses across Max's chest.

"I love you," Max said, shuddering in surprise as the punk's lips puckered around her nipple.

"And I, you," she responded after teasingly lapping at the pink nub. "I've...waited a long time for this. You're so damned gorgeous, Max." The brunette blushed a little as she smiled.

"You are!" She shot back as Chloe climbed back up to eye level. There was a flurry of quick kisses, the punk dispersing them among the freckles she loved so much. As she kissed her, she slipped a hand slowly along Max's leg, her gaze bursting with adoration.

"Max," she said, her tone serious as her hand crawled up her inner thigh. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Positive," she breathed nervously. Chloe smiled warmly and nodded. Her hand trailed upward, soft and carefully. Max's breathing quickened as she reached for Chloe's other hand, locking their fingers together. There was a gentle pressure between her legs. "Oooh, Jesus Christ almighty," she sighed, closing her eyes.

_Okay, yeah. This is happening. Holy shit._

"Wow," the punk snickered, "I'm barely touching you and you're already breaking commandments." Max let out an excited, sharp giggle as she shook her head.

"Now is _so_ not the time for you to be a smartass." She strengthened her grip on Chloe's hand. The blue haired girl playfully snorted.

"Whatevah, hippie," she whispered with a big smile. Her hand began to move a hair faster, pressing itself tighter between Max's legs. The brunette bit her lip, basking in the feeling. With her free hand, she reached downward, finding Chloe's sweatpants and placing her hand on her butt.

"H..." She took a breath. "Hope these say 'juicy' on the back."

"Uh huh," Chloe responded, laughing quietly. "Now who's a smartass?"

"Me...probably," Max breathed as Chloe's fingers pressed harder.

"You, _definitely_ ," she corrected. After a few minutes of teasing Max through her shorts, her hand fell still, causing the girl to look up.

"Hey! Why you stop?" She asked innocently, adding a little pout.

"Stop?" Chloe shook her head, grinning as she shuffled backward to the middle of the bed. "Darlin', I haven't even started." She danced her fingers up Max's thighs and slid them into the waist of her shorts. "Up," she commanded, flashing a devious smirk. Obeying, Max lifted her butt off the bed. Chloe pulled, methodically peeling Max's cotton shorts down. Once off, she tossed them to the floor and reached back between Max's legs. "I really like your undies," she cooed as her fingertips slid along the growing wet spot. "I bet they'd look really good on the floor."

" _Dude_ ," Max groaned.

"Sorry, sorry," the punk snickered, briefly burying her face into the girl's leg. "I've just always wanted to say that!"

"Well, I'm _soooo_ freakin' happy I could help out with your bucket list," the smaller girl sneered.

"Oh shush," Chloe laughed. "You fucking love it." She was right, of course. Max did love it. She dipped one finger into Max's underwear and began to pull.

"No, wait," the brunette protested. Chloe yanked her hand away quickly and fell backward onto her ass. She regarded Max with panic, holding her hand against her chest. "No, no," Max said as she sat up. "Sorry! I'm fine, babe. Everything's fine. I just think this should be like...Hammurabi rules."

_Is Babylonian law appropriate sex talk? Prob...probably not..._

"Don't scare me like that!" The blue haired girl flailed her hands. "I thought I fucked up. What are you talking about?"

"Like an eye for an eye! Or...an article of clothing for an article of clothing? Basically, my pants for yours. My panties for yours. So, um, it's your turn." Max offered her a big, encouraging smile as she shrugged. Chloe squinted, then rolled her eyes as she got off of the bed.

"Fine," she huffed as she faced away. She looked over her shoulder and winked. "Undress me."

"That was the hottest thing I've ever heard," Max muttered in amazement.

_I'll take sentences I never thought I'd hear five years ago for a thousand, Alex._

"For now," she responded with a smirk. "Now come on, please baby?" There was a playful whine in her voice as she wiggled her hips.

"Wow, and you topped it that fast," the brunette giggled. "Jesus, okay," she said, her cheeks growing hot as she gripped Chloe's pants by the thighs. She gave a soft tug, but because they were a bit big on the girl, they fell with no resistance. Max gasped as she found herself staring at Chloe's bare backside.

"Heh, gotcha," she snirked. "Commando. I don't play by yo rules." Watching her over her shoulder, she grinned at Max's adorable, dumbfounded look. She bent over _just_ a little. "So? What's goin' on in that sexy head of yours?" Biting her lip, Max eagerly reached out and cupped her ass.

"So...wowsers," she said, bouncing her wrist. "It's like jello." She immediately snorted and began to laugh as she blushed. "Fuck! That was supposed to be in my head!"

_Where were you on THAT one, filter!?_

"Do you...like jello, at least?" Chloe shot back, perking an eyebrow with a small laugh of her own.

"Very much," Max purred as she squeezed Chloe's cheek.

"Phew, then bullet dodged," the punk chuckled as she turned around. Max felt a spear of arousal at the sight of her girlfriend's completely nude body, illuminated by the dim lighting of the lanterns. Chloe stared quietly with her lips taut, suddenly seeming very vulnerable. She shrugged. "Well," she said as she held her arms out. "This is...uh, this is me."

_Woah...it sure is._

"You're beautiful," Max said, her eyes scanning up and down, though they stuttered a half second longer on the girl's lower body. "Just...just perfect."

"I'm, uh..." She laughed nervously, her shoulders hunching as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm all yours. And...really fucking nervous..."

"Baby..." Max opened her arms invitingly. "Why are _you_ nervous?" Chloe moved toward her, allowing herself to be pulled into a hug that placed Max's face directly parallel to the punk's chest.

"No one's..." She began, scrunching her lips with uncertainty. "No one's ever loved me. Especially not while...yanno..."

_Oh, Chloe._

"Well, _I_ love you," Max said as she kissed the punk's stomach, desperately trying to avoid staring. "You're so fucking beautiful." She suddenly perked up, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm the one who should be...who IS nervous! I'm a total noob at this!"

"It's also your turn," Chloe reminded as she placed a palm on Max's chest, pushing until she was on her back, her legs dangling over the side of the bed.

"Is it already?" She asked with an anxious giggle.

"Mmn, yeah, pretty sure," Chloe responded in a small, singsongy voice as she lowered herself to her knees. Perching her hands like claws, she allowed each fingertip to just barely make contact with Max's knees. Painfully slow, she dragged her hands up her thighs, sparking shivers and tickles within the brunette's body. She hooked her fingers into the band of Max's underwear and began to pull down. Max muttered an 'oh god' and blushed as she faced the wall. "You're so cute," Chloe laughed.

Chloe bit her lip, her teeth pressing harder with each inch Max's underwear lowered. With a final tug, they were off, sliding down the girl's legs and onto the floor. Max immediately clapped her knees together, throwing her hands downward for extra cover.

"This is embarrassing," she said. "What if I'm gross or something?"

"Do you want to stop?" Chloe asked, resting her chin on one of Max's knees, respectfully awaiting an answer. The question caught Max off guard. Something about the fact that even this late in the game, all she cared about was Max's comfort really struck her. She willed away her self-consciousness, instead growing a goofy smile.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" She asked. The punk opened her mouth in feigned shock. "God no, are you crazy?" Chloe laughed as she shook her head, leaving a soft kiss on each of Max's knees.

"It's been suggested," she responded with her usual, dry sarcasm. Gently, she slid one hand between Max's knees and pulled (really, more like encouraged) her legs open. Her eyes grew wide as she stared in awe, much to Max's dismay.

_Well, that's an extremely weird feeling. I feel so...vulnerable._

"Um, hey, everything...okay down there?" She asked nervously.

"Hella," Chloe rasped, her voice getting caught in her throat. "Well, actually...there is a tiny problem." Max glanced at her wildly, horror screaming through her eyes. "Shh, calm down," the punk laughed. "I'm just...kind of torn here. I had a plan. I've literally _had_ this plan for months. But I don't..." She sighed a little frustratedly, swiping some hair out of her face. "I don't think it's going to work anymore?"

"Dude, what are you _talking_ about?" Max asked.

"I, uh..." Chloe began as her hand swept up Max's inner thigh, lustily clutching at the skin. "I was going to do things in order. The 'right' way, I guess. Like the baseball diamond, you know? But now I just really, _really_ want to..."

"I'm so confused," Max squeaked as she brought her bundled hands to her mouth. She watched as Chloe stared at her, a ravenous shimmer expanding in her eyes. The blue haired girl straightened her spine, then pulled Max by the knees until she slid to the very edge of the bed.

"I, uh, I've never done this before, so..." Chloe said with a nervous chuckle. Before Max could even ask, the punk descended between her legs. Even the sensation of Chloe's cheeks brushing along the insides of her legs was enough to make Max gasp, but that was just a small warning for what would follow. Chloe's lips softly pecked at her upper thigh, slowly inching to the left until they found Max's core. Max inhaled sharply and threw her head back, staring at the ceiling in disbelief.

_W.O.W._

"Chloe..." she sighed, her voice almost lilting into a tone of disbelief. The rate of kisses increased, pulling Max's insides with want. There was a moment of respite where all she could focus on was Chloe's warm breath colliding against her. And then she felt it – Chloe's tongue sweeping along her wetness. Max moaned as her hand clawed into the sheets beneath her.

"Holy _fuck_ ," Chloe whispered, an automatic reaction not meant for Max's ears. Before she could wonder whether that was a positive or negative remark, the punk tightened her grasp on each of the girl's legs and passionately dove back in. The feeling was incredible, unlike anything Max had ever felt before. She moaned again, this time louder as her unoccupied hand flung down, her fingers twisting with the blue hair almost violently. The punk offered a small grunt of approval, though even the vibrations of that noise sung against Max in a heavenly way.

"Oh my god," Max whined as she bit her lip. "Chloe, fuck." She began to writhe, occasionally lifting her back off of the bed when a particular note of ecstasy hit her. Without her conscious approval, she lifted her legs and planted her heels against Chloe's shoulder blades, buckling down and pulling the girl into her deeper. In response, the girl released a moan of her own.

"You are fucking delicious," she said as she rested for a moment. Regardless of how _into_ it Max was, the comment still made her blush and spurt out an awkward giggle. "I'm gonna..." Chloe began as she released her grip on one of Max's legs, retracting her arm between them. "I'm gonna try something else. You still with me?"

_Always._

"Yes," the brunette responded quietly, though the eagerness in her voice was clear. She had so many things she wanted to say that they sort of just smashed together into that one, precious syllable.

"Good girl," Chloe replied, the silkiness in her voice causing Max to shudder. With an obsessive carefulness, the punk slid one finger inside of Max. The girl yelped as her eyes grew wide, thrusting her head back against the bed with force. She couldn't help but think of all the times she had done this to herself and how different this felt. How much better. The rhythm started slow as Chloe's finger moved, Max bucking with each reinsertion. She glanced down at the girl and found her staring back, the blue in her eyes combusting with a fevered playfulness as she surveyed Max's reactions. The enjoyment worked both ways, though, as the sight of Chloe nibbling on her lip as her face glistened from Max's juices made her stomach flip in ecstasy. Chloe watched her writhe a moment longer before puckering her lips in a kiss, winking, and dipping out of sight. The sensation of Chloe's tongue added along with the rhythmic pumping of her finger, which was soon joined by another.

Max moaned again as Chloe's pace quickened, providing just enough force to make her body rock back and forth. She focused on the ceiling, watching the lanterns on the wall bob in and out of focus as sounds of pleasure relentlessly sprung from her throat. It was one particularly loud groan that made her self-aware of her volume. Frantically, she grabbed a pillow and smashed it over her face. Her hips bucked as Chloe lapped at her sensitive area, the punk's fingers quickly plunging back and forth. Suddenly, the world went white as a warm feeling spiraled from within Max's lower body, blooming up through her stomach until it reached her head. She screamed into the pillow as her legs trembled, feeling as though she'd just been flipped through space and time in an entirely newway.

_Holy fuck. Am I blind? What happened? I can taste colors._

"Oh man," Chloe said with a small laugh as she resurfaced from between Max's legs. The brunette watched her quietly, her frenzied eyes peeking over the pillow she still clung to. Her feet continued to twitch as the waves of pleasure receded. The punk swiped a finger across her chin and analyzed it before grinning and cockily sticking it in her mouth. "I fink I fid a goof jof!" She muffled cheerily.

"Did I die?" Max asked with suspicion as she pulled her legs onto the bed. "Is this heaven?"

"Might as well be," Chloe responded. She plucked her shirt off the ground, looking it over for a moment before using it to wipe her face, causing Max to cringe in horror. "What else was I supposed to do!?" She held her hands up in defense.

"I have paper towels and tissues!" She hissed back.

"Man, fuck that," Chloe chuckled as she climbed onto the bed. "Savin' some for later." Max made a sound of disgust.

"I cannot even believe you," she said.

"No?" The punk asked teasingly as she straddled Max. The girl shook her head slowly, entranced as Chloe's breasts hovered in front of her. She dove forward, flicking her tongue across the piercing before wrapping her lips around her nipple. "Fuck," Chloe breathed, buckling for moment. She gently eased her teeth around the pink nub and pulled, forcing the blue haired girl to quiver in delight. Letting go, Max took several pillows and arranged them at the head of her bed, then leaned back into them so that she maintained somewhat of sitting position.

_Your turn._

"Come here," she said with her arms open, her voice a bit more demanding than she had meant it.

"Oooh," Chloe giggled excitedly. "Is Max bein' bossy? Yes, master..." The punk crawled toward her, slipping one knee between Max's as she fell into a kiss. It was gentle and passionate, their lips sweeping over each other with tenderness as their tongues met. Chloe pulled away, her eyes half-lidded as she stared at the brunette. "I'm so fucking in love with you." Her eyes widened and darted to the side as she spasmed with laughter. " _Aaaaand_ , as it turns out, I'm so in love with fucking you."

"Would you let me say it back first before you make a joke!?" Max narrowed her eyes, weakly slapping Chloe in the shoulder as she giggled. "I love you too, baby. That was...incredible. And, I, um..." She brought her hand to Chloe's thigh, sighing in amazement as she felt the heat radiating from above. Chloe puckered her lips, exhaling a small burst of breath in anticipation. "God, Chlo. I want you so bad." The punk smirked and leaned close to Max's ear.

"Then fuckin' take me."

_Oh. Okay. Yes._

Max nodded, mostly for herself, as Chloe began to nibble on her earlobe. She moved her hand up and into Chloe's warmth, her eyes widening at the slick sensation. The blue haired girl's breathing hitched in Max's ear as she brought both arms around her neck. She began to work her fingers against the girl, struggling to balance the desire to "perform" well, the way she felt on her fingertips, and the soft moans drifting into her ear straight from the punk's lips.

_Sensory overload in the best way possible._

Chloe shifted herself tighter against Max's hand and kissed her. She moaned into her mouth, sucking her tongue as Max found a rhythm, picking up her pace as Chloe helped by grinding her hips. The blue haired girl broke from the kiss with an enthusiastic gasp of pleasure, her head rocking back as she slid her hips forward. She brought her hands to Max's hair and raised herself higher, pressing her chest into Max's face. Taking the cue, Max turned her attention to Chloe's breasts, working her tongue along her nipples. Max breathed heavily in synchronization with her girlfriend, using Chloe's new position to her advantage as she inserted a finger.

"Oh _shit_ ," Chloe whined, further winding her fingers through Max's hair. From all the times Chloe had joked that Max made her 'melt,' she imagined this is what it actually sounded like – a shrill gasp of pure ecstasy. Chloe ground her hips down hard, stealing Max's digit deep inside her as the brunette tightly grasped her waist with her free hand. She whimpered again as she kissed Max's forehead. For her part, Max managed to follow her lead from before and slipped in another finger, bringing Chloe to an uncharacteristically high pitched squeal. She continued to alternate between Chloe's nipples while she worked her hand beneath her, taking the occasional moment to grunt in pleasure at the punk's hair pulling. Chloe became more frantic with her bucking, her body pleading desperately for Max to match her pace. "I...I..." Chloe began, her voice cracking and sweeping away as she moved her hips.

"What is it, baby?" Max purred, angling her head to watch the girl's flushed face contort with pleasure.

_Holy shit, I'm doing that?_

"I love you so much, Max. And...and I need the fucking pillow," she managed to say before snapping her mouth shut. Max reached her hand behind her, then froze as her fingers felt along the material of the pillow. She quickly scanned Chloe up and down, the sight of the bouncing girl absolutely shredding her insides with bliss. "Max," she moaned with a small hint of impatient laughter. "I'm gonna fuckin' scream."

"I...wanna hear," Max said quietly, surprising herself with her boldness. She reached behind Chloe's neck and escorted her onto her shoulder. The punk didn't acknowledge it, instead tilting her head and viciously latching onto Max's neck, pulling another groan out of the brunette. She continued to pump her fingers, finally bringing Chloe to seize as she wrapped her arms around Max, digging her nails into the girl's back. Her moan grew in volume, sliding into Max's ear much to the girl's satisfaction. It escalated into a scream, punctuated by a reasonably loud 'fuck,' followed by Chloe falling limp on top of Max. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, breathing heavily with no words. A million thoughts ran through Max's mind, and she was content to find they were all positive.

_We did it...WE DID IT! And I did good! I think? I made her..._

"You're being awfully quiet," Max whispered, finally breaking the silence as she stroked the punk's hair.

"I...fucking love you," she said back, still out of breath.

"I love you too, babe."

"Also, I can't move anything," Chloe said with a little more levity.

"Did...I do okay?" Max asked, the blissful feeling receding just enough for her typical nervousness to resurface.

"I can't. Move. _Anything._ " Chloe repeated in a tone that stressed the point.

"So that's a good, then? Not a bad?" Max snickered as she kissed Chloe on the head. After a bit of grumbling, the punk managed to lift herself up and spin around so she was lying next to Max.

"That's a fucking A+ wowsers, girlfriend," she chuckled, holding up a thumbs up. "How're you feeling?"

"Incredible," she said. "My brain's still playing catch up, but I'm _pretty_ sure we just made love. Like, holy shit."

"I know, right!?" Chloe giggled, turning onto her side as she pulled Max close to her. "And you were absolutely perfect. As to be expected."

"You were too," she said. She found Chloe's hand and looped their fingers together. "We did it, Chloe." She chuckled. "All the dumb cliches were right. That...really was magical. I feel so close to you."

"The entirety of our relationship is magical. Literally _and_ figuratively," Chloe whispered. She eyed Max lovingly, before suddenly snorting and facing away. "Here we fuckin' go," she muttered in annoyance.

"What's that mean?"

"I'm fuckin' crying again," she laughed in disbelief, clapping her hand to her face.

"Oh no! Babe, what's wrong?" Max asked as she sat up.

_Couldn't have been THAT bad, right?_

"I'm just so fucking happy, dude," she said. "I mean, I don't know," she flitted a hand in the air. "We're in love. Like forreal! That doesn't just blow your flippin' mind with awesomeness on occasion? I _never_ knew it was possible to feel this way. It's so amazing and scary and beautiful and maddening. It just feels like, I don't know, _this_ is why we're alive. Humans in general, I mean. This is what everyone wants and I fucking _have_ it!"

"You are too fucking precious." Max said, her eyes wandering across the room. "Well," she began, climbing over Chloe to get off the bed. "If anyone deserves it, it's you. You deserve all the happiness." She leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek before she scurried away.

"Where you going?" Chloe pouted as she rolled her shoulders backward in a stretch. Max stood by her desk for a moment, before spinning around with her camera in her hands. She slowly stalked back to the punk, hopping on the bed and straddling her. "Uh huh," she said with a smarmy smile. "I totally knew this would be a kink of yours."

"Oh shut up," Max laughed. "That's not what I'm doing. I just...want a photo from tonight. I'll keep it above the shoulders. Chaste, you know?"

"Bummer," she responded with a smirk. Max regarded the lighting in the room, shrugging to herself that it was good enough. She aimed the camera at Chloe's face.

"Hey," she said. The blue haired girl rolled her eyes. "Chloe, you are all that matters to me. I love ya more than anything." Chloe's expression shifted considerably from 'disinterested tease' to 'embarrassingly in love.' Max let out a 'ha!' as she snapped the photo, grinning brilliantly as she lowered the camera.

"That's not fair!" Chloe complained.

"Deal with it, cutie," Max said as she examined the photo. She nibbled her lip in thought. "You know, I _could_ take other pictures! I mean, like..." She looked down at Chloe's body, still glistening with sweat, and she shuddered in delight. "You're naked," she whispered giddily.

_All the pictures!_

"Have you looked in the mirror recently?" Chloe asked, sweetly stroking her palm across the girl's stomach. Max chuckled for a second before making the mistake of actually looking in the mirror. She let out a small yelp.

"Oh god, I am too!" She rolled off of Chloe and onto the floor with a thud, scrambling for her underwear. "I'm sorry," she muttered to no one in particular. She picked up her panties and scowled when she realized she did _not_ want to put this particular pair back on. As she began to crawl toward her dresser, something heavy fell on top of her and pinned her to the floor. "Chloe! Get off!"

"Why are you in such a hurry to get dressed?" Max could _hear_ the smile as she asked it.

"This is gonna blow your mind," the brunette grunted. "But I'm a little insecure."

"What!?" Chloe offered a fake gasp. "Baby," she said, her voice sinking into sincerity, "you are perfect and have no reason to be insecure. You're beautiful!" She swept a hand along, brushing Max's hair out of the way and exposing the back of her neck so she could kiss it. Then, the pressure on Max's back receded as the punk got off of her and onto her knees. "Can I show you something?"

"Yeah," Max sighed as she got to her knees. Chloe hastened the process by looping her hands under the girl's arms and yanking her to her feet.

"Max," she said, pecking her on the cheek. She turned with the girl in her arms until they both faced the mirror. Max took in a deep breath as she drank in the image – her completely nude, save for the bullet hanging around her neck, with Chloe behind her, her hands sweeping along her body as they brought forth small shivers. Only a few days ago, she had 'fought' Other Max in this mirror. In comparison, it was definitely a good change of pace. "That looks _really_ good to me," Chloe said.

_Wow, look at us... Never thought you'd see this, huh, Max?_

"Uh huh..." Max managed absentmindedly, watching as her reflection reached one arm above her to settle in the punk's hair. She let go of a small moan as she tilted her head, allowing Chloe to bite her neck. She was suddenly very aware of the girl's piercings against her back, soon followed by the pressure of her pelvis. With half-lidded eyes, she followed Chloe's hands as they danced across her hip bones, the feathery touch scattering along her pubic mound before retreating back up her stomach to her breasts.

"Baby," Chloe said quietly, following the small pop of suction from the brunette's neck. There was a small note of pleading in her voice. "You know how I say I wish you could see yourself the way I see you? Well, this is it. Just...look at you." Her breath collided against Max's cheek. The punk's hands continued to slide along her body, carefully caressing every curve and nook. It was entrancing, watching these amazing things happen in the mirror and feeling the correlating touch. But it was when Max's gazed drifted higher and she saw the look in Chloe's eyes, an indescribable combination of love, lust, madness, praise, awe... She actually felt it, the little bolt of recognition in her mind – _'maybe I am beautiful._ ' And though the revelation meant so much to her, she decided to take the Chloe approach. A small smile spread in her cheeks.

"You always see me _naked_?" Max asked with a tiny giggle. The punk glared into the mirror, her jaw tightening as her nostrils flared.

"You little _bitch_ ," she snickered, snaking her arms around Max's waist and lifting her into the air. The smaller girl squeaked her own laughter as she kicked her feet. "I'm trying to prove a point!"

_You did, Chlo. Thank you._

"Put me down, you dork." Max began to laugh harder as she pawed at Chloe's hand.

"No!" She jostled the brunette in her arms. "Not until you admit that you're hella sexy!"

"I'll do the thing," Max warned.

_My secret weapon!_

"Shut up, you won't," Chloe shot back. Immediately, Max went limp in her arms. "Fffffuck," she hissed as her knees weakened. She spun toward the bed and threw Max onto it. "You are so fucking dead."

"Oh yeah?" Max asked, coaxing the girl along. With a growl, Chloe pounced on top of her, placing her hands on the brunette's shoulders to pin her down.

"Say it," she barked.

"It!" Max cackled. Chloe huffed in frustration, puffing out her bottom lip. As she glanced to the side, her pout morphed into a devious smile. Removing one hand from Max's shoulder, she leaned over and snagged the camera from the sheets.

"How much film you got left?" She asked, her eyebrow arched inquisitively.

" _Why_?" Max asked, narrowing her eyes at the punk.

_This may have just backfired. Figures._

"Iunno!" She shrugged enthusiastically. She looked around the room, popping her lips playfully before gasping, pretending she had been struck by a brilliant idea. "Hey, know what would be really fun?"

"Movement?" Max suggested with a smirk, wiggling her body beneath Chloe.

"Close. Very close, Max. That was a good guess," she replied condescendingly. "But what if, instead of that, I was a thoughtful girlfriend and counted how much film you had left so you didn't have to worry about it?"

"That sounds like a bad id- _dude_!" Max laughed in disbelief as a flash filled the room. Chloe was pointing the camera at the wall, not even aiming at anything in particular.

"Okay, so that was one," she said, nodding her head as the camera spat out the Polaroid. "So I mean, you had at least one photo left."

"Give me the camera," Max said dryly, reaching into the air. The punk simply stared at her with big, mischievous eyes as she took another picture. "Nooooo," she groaned. With a huff, she held her hand like a claw and attacked Chloe's ribs with tickles. The blue haired girl gasped.

_Time to fight dirty._

"Woah, no fair, no fair!" She said, her voice dissolving into unhinged laughter as Max continued to tickle her. She rolled off of the brunette and nestled into the pillow throne at the head of the bed. "Stop dat!" She held the camera high above her as she snapped another photo.

"Give me the camera!" Max snarled, now free and on the offensive. She dove into Chloe, skittering her fingers against the girl's side with one hand as she whiffed for the camera. The punk squealed a small 'no' in her hysterics. The laughter caused her to spasm, kicking both legs out straight and accidentally toppling the brunette over as their legs tangled together. Max growled as she got back to her knees, flashing a smile to the still laughing Chloe as she advanced toward the camera.

"Max, holy shit, I'm going to die," Chloe barely managed to rasp. She slid down the pillows, convulsing as Max tickled her. Again, one of her legs involuntarily kicked to the side, forcing Max to once again shift herself. The brunette ceased her tickles as she lunged for the camera, now low enough for her to grab.

"Ha, got it!" She cheered. "Mad Max wins again!" She turned to Chloe with a shit eating grin, but the blue haired girl stared back up at Max, her eyes wide as a small blush was barely visible in the light. "Chloe? What's wrong?"

"Umm..." The girl replied, whisking her head side to side nervously. Her expression shifted to one of pleasure, nibbling her lip as she regarded the brunette. As her eyes fluttered, she pointed down, her index finger curling and uncurling for effect. Max's eyes trailed down, her heartbeat launching into a sprint as she realized the cause of Chloe's reaction. In the course of wrestling for the camera, they had become so entangled that they were now locked between each others' legs.

"Oh..." Max said, her breathing becoming heavier as she noticed the heat. "Um, do you want me to get off?"

"Do you want to?" Chloe asked, her eyes pleading for a 'no.'

"Not...especially," Max admitted as a small smile bloomed in her cheeks. She looked over the camera in her hands. Admitting defeat with a sigh, she held it out and puckered her lips, lighting up the room with another flash. "Here," she said shyly as she softly twitched the photo around. "Hammurabi rules. S'only fair." She handed it to Chloe.

"You believe me?" She asked, angling the picture toward the lanterns so she could see it.

"Yeah," Max said quietly. "You make me feel beautiful." She shifted her hips slightly, eliciting a small dart of pleasure in both of them. "You, uh, feel nice."

_I like this... It's intimate._

"Ditto," Chloe responded. She snickered and covered her face. "Why is this the part that makes me self-conscious? A little while ago, I was treating you like a death row last meal, but this is what makes me all bashful?" She stuck her tongue between her teeth when Max briefly scrunched her nose. "Sorry, I'm kind of champ at ruining the mood, huh?"

"Yes and no," Max said, pulling herself forward to slide against her girlfriend. She grinned as Chloe's eyes momentarily rocked to the back of her head. "You do say a lot of dumb stuff," she laughed, reaching down to stroke the punk's stomach. "But it's also something that's distinctively _you_. And I love everything about you."

"Everything?" She asked.

"Uh huh!" Max nodded, allowing her hand to travel to Chloe's breast. She ground her hips forward gently, exhaling a small moan. The blue haired girl watched on with a smirk, before her eyes began working around in thought.

"Um, hey," she said, resting her hand on top of Max's. "How do you feel? Like really?"

_She's not just referring to physically, I suppose..._

"Different," she replied. "Better." The punk pressed her elbows into the bed, raising herself into a sitting position while keeping locked together with Max. The movement made them both shiver.

"No nosebleed?" She asked, bringing a thumb beneath the brunette's nose.

"No nosebleed," Max repeated in the affirmative, winding her arms around Chloe. She kissed her on the cheek as she moved her hips, sighing when it felt right. It wasn't an extreme feeling like she had experienced earlier, but a subtle, comfortable one. Chloe exhaled a small amount of pain.

"I hated seeing you like that," the blue haired girl whispered, kissing Max's upper lip. "Broke my heart."

"I know, Chlo," Max responded in her own whisper. "It was so, so terrible. All I...all I wanted was to be with you. I was so scared." She dipped her face into the crook of Chloe's neck, sniffling as she finally allowed herself to relive the memory. To confront it.

"You're such a little warrior," Chloe chuckled, kissing Max on the temple. "I love you so, so much. And I promise, I will _never_ let anyone hurt your ever again."

"I love you too." The brunette snuggled in closer. "And likewise on the protecting thing." She rested their foreheads together, smiling at the girl's intense, scanning eyes. Chloe wrapped her arms around her and pulled her as closely as she could, the soft clink of their bullet necklaces making her smirk. She kissed her sweetly as Max wobbled her hips, pulling tiny sparks of pleasure from both of them.

"I read online that this didn't feel good," she said, her tone slanted in snarky suspicion. "It feels good to me."

_Hold up, what?_

"You...read _online_?" Max asked, raising her eyebrows as her face contorted into a grin. The punk scrunched her lips.

"Well, that's an embarrassing slip of the tongue," she said dryly. "I just wanted to, like...make you feel good when we did things. Treat you right. You know! Cause I love you and..." She huffed exasperatedly. "Fine, I researched how to have sex with you!" She furrowed her brow with a pout, grumpily staring at Max.

_She makes me feel like a queen._

"That's actually incredibly sweet of you," Max said, unleashing a flurry of kisses.

"S'whatever," she grumbled.

"I think it feels good too." Max snickered as she lurched forward enthusiastically. "Makes me feel close to you. And that's really all I want."

"Me too, sweetness." Chloe shook her head with a light laugh. "Jesus, just thinking about how long ago we met... We were practically babies! We've had a long, hella strange journey."

"Well, it's still just starting, yeah?" Max asked, bringing her hands to Chloe's cheeks. The question seemed to strike a nerve in the girl. Her eyes fluttered to to the ceiling as she thought it over, a smile growing as she did so.

"Absolutely," she said, swishing their noses together. "I'm never leaving you, Max."

_Best answer. Best girl._

Max nodded as she brought their lips together, her hands still resting on her girlfriend's cheeks. Chloe pulled her against her tighter, dreamily sighing as the brunette coerced her tongue through her lips. The punk rolled her pelvis forward, inhaling the petite moan escaping from Max's lips. They stayed like that, safely wound around each other as they spoke through movement and kisses.

"Woah," Chloe finally said after some time. "Do you hear that?" Max cocked her head to the side and listened, grinning when she noticed the soft singing of birds.

"Dude, it's _so_ early," Max laughed, bonking her head against the punk's. She turned to look at the window, the black from not long ago now mellowed into a medium blue.

"We can sleep in," Chloe suggested. "I can't remember the last time I actually slept in like, really late. That sounds so fun to me." She scowled. "Are we old? What's happening?"

"You're older than me, cradle robber," Max joked, pecking the girl on the nose.

"I don't think you're in a position to be sassy," Chloe said. "And I mean that literally." She winked as she dipped a hand beneath her.

"Oh my god!" Max burst into laughter. "You are so bad."

"Hells to the yeah, I am," the punk shot back, reclining back into the pillow mountain. She blinked her eyes slowly as she unleashed a loud yawn.

"Sleepy?" Max asked as she nuzzled into the girl's cheek.

"A little," she admitted. "We're going to be sore when we wake up," she added with a snicker.

"That's okay," Max said, tugging the blankets from under Chloe. "I already know I'm going to have a damned Jupiter spot on my neck. Not to mention the scratches on my back, Logan." She perked an eyebrow at the girl.

"Yeeeeah," she cringed. "Sorry about that. You're not bleeding. That...badly, anyway."

"Don't sweat it, cutie. I take it as a compliment." With a somber sigh, she removed herself from between the punk's legs, prompting a small chuckle from the girl. She crawled beside her and pulled the blankets over them. "This has been the best night of my life," she whispered.

"C'mere," Chloe said sweetly, encasing the smaller girl in a hug. "I am _so_ happy. _You_ make me so happy. I love you, Max."

"I love you," she responded, feeling perfectly warm and snug inside. They shared a kiss, though Chloe was already half asleep. Max laughed quietly. "Goodnight, baby." She settled into the blue haired girl, relishing the contact of their bare bodies together. She briefly peeked at the window, smiling as the fresh sunlight spilled into the dark room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Max would say...wowsers.
> 
> I feel like there's a lot to say about this chapter. When I first decided to write this story, there was a small list of "big" events I had planned and this was one of the first. I always knew Chloe would dream of the Dark Room and that it would be the impetus for their first time. I'd like to think a running theme through the story is that, when faced with issues, the girls are able to rely on each other and overcome them. This is probably the biggest example of that.
> 
> But man, oh man. I think, from a technical level, this will probably be THE most challenging chapter I have to write. It's important to me that when you guys read these NSFW scenes, they still feel distinctly like they belong in THIS story with this particular iteration of the characters, and not like they can be extracted as a oneshot. In the same way, I struggled with the balance of 'details.' You know what I'm talking about. It's not that I necessarily want this chapter to be steamy smut, but that after all this time the whole 'tasteful fade to black' thing just didn't seem appropriate. Actually, you might notice this is the ONLY chapter so far without a scene break. And it's also the longest! At any rate, I hope (fuckin PRAY) I found a reasonable balance - sweet and romantic AND fun without seeming too smutty or even, going in the other direction, sterile.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it took a lot of work. But y'all are worth it. Thanks so much for reading, guys. :)


	32. Basking In The After-Chlo

Max awoke in an entirely new world. Well, it was the same world, but she had a new angle to view it from. Obviously, as a photographer, this was an immensely valuable feeling. As she blinked her eyes, the events from the night trickled in, providing a sense of disbelief and euphoria. Then she noticed Chloe tightly snuggled against her, the girl's brows angled sharply, giving her an adorably grumpy expression as she slept. It struck her how rare it was that she woke up before the punk and took the appropriate time to appreciate the slumbering girl.

_Now this...this is everything I've ever wanted._

After watching for a few minutes, she carefully reached over her to retrieve her phone. She let out a tiny snort when she saw it was just past 1:30PM, not feeling a single ounce of regret for sleeping a large portion of the day away. Gently tossing the phone down by her feet, she slid back into a reclined position. Her eyes scanned along the ceiling as she remembered the cleansing feeling from the night before; the moment all of her pain and trauma purged from her body. Feeling a bit silly, she closed her eyes and mentally shouted into the void.

_Are you there? Uh, evil...me?_

It's not that she expected an answer. At least not something as direct as an 'oh hey, what's up?' but it doubled as a scavenge through her psyche. She searched for all the bits that made her feel badly, the latent anxiety biding its time to expand in her head. And she...didn't find any of it. Not a trace.

Beside her, Chloe began to stir, smacking her lips and releasing a sizable plop of drool onto Max's chest. The blue haired girl's eyes snapped open in alert, immediately focusing on Max.

"Good morn...well, good afternoon, baby," she said with a small chuckle. Chloe simply stared at her with wide eyes. Max assumed that she was experiencing the same drip feed of memories she herself had gone through when she first woke up. Chloe narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She flung her arm into the air, holding the blankets open as she looked down. When she saw that they were both naked, confirming her suspicions, she gasped.

"Ohhhhh my god," she squealed, a grin splitting from ear to ear. She clapped both hands over her face as she giggled excitedly. "Yes! Fucking yes!" She began to laugh harder as she cheered, kicking her feet and sending the blankets into a frenzy. "Woooo! Holy shit! Holy _shit_!" She sat up quickly, immediately rolling over on top of Max. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, her eyes giant and bright as she poked the girl's cheek over and over. "We did it! We fuckin' hella did it!"

"I don't think I've ever heard you say 'gosh' before," Max replied, giggling when Chloe nodded enthusiastically.

"Gosh, gosh, dang old goshin' gosher," she said, nuzzling into the brunette's chest. She began to laugh again. "Holy fuck, holy shit. Yes!" Max wasn't expecting such an animated reaction, but it did make her happy to see how excited she was. It had a certain innocence to it that reminded her of a child on Christmas morning.

_She's so fucking cute._

"Well, I'm glad you didn't wake up with a sense of regret," Max chuckled. The punk lifted herself on her knees and shook her hips, raising her arms straight up into the air.

"I hella regret not bonin' for like a million more hours," she sang in a poorly improvised tune.

"Boning, huh?" Max asked with a cocked eyebrow. Chloe nodded once again, voicing an enthusiastic 'uh huh!' before falling back on top of Max. She snaked her arms beneath her, squeezing her in a hug.

"Holy shit, holy shit," she repeated. "Max, I love you so much."

"I love you!" The brunette gave several sweet kisses to the top of her head.

It became comfortably quiet as they lay together, the only noise coming from the occasional giggle of amazement from Chloe as she looked at Max. After some time soaking in the moment, she rolled off of Max and landed next to her.

"What time even is it?" Chloe asked, slinking down into the covers. "Is it dinner time!? Is it February!? I feel like I'm waking up out of a love coma!"

_Love Coma is a great name for a hair metal band._

"Getting close to two," Max said.

"Ah! The day is young yet, Maxaroni! Did you have anything you needed to do or...?" The punk rolled onto her side.

"It's funny how my usual snarky answer of 'you' loses some of its punch. In hindsight, that's a really rough sacrifice," Max laughed, sliding her feet against the blue haired girl's legs.

"Nuh uh, see, now that's just something we can legitimately take care of during the day!" She winked. "So, is that a no, then? You're mine?"

"Such a stupid question," Max giggled, tracing light kisses along Chloe's neck. "What do you want to do today?"

"Well, actually..." She pouted, looking a bit ashamed. "Before we do _anything_ we need to go to my house. I was in such a hurry last night, I didn't bring anything but my keys."

_Oh yeah...I forgot about that. My poor baby._

"So you have keys, sweatpants and a..." Max scowled, blushing a little, "dirty shirt. That's it?"

"Correct." She snickered. "My first official walk of shame! I'm gonna own it so hard!" She held a hand up for Max to high five.

"Nice," Max congratulated, slapping her hand. "Well, regardless, I'm not letting you go outside without some kind of protection. There's fucking snow on the ground!"

"I ain't even care though," she said, jutting out her jaw in an act of toughness.

"I do," Max scolded. "I don't want you to freeze. What am I going to do with you if turn into a punksicle?"

"The same thing you do with all popsicles, duh," Chloe replied, sitting up with a mischievous smile. Max rolled her eyes, internally cursing at how much of a softball that one was. Chloe got up from the bed and stretched, unleashing a tremendous yawn as she did so. Max's cheeks reddened as she surveyed the girl. "What's that look for?"

"It was dark last night," she said sheepishly. "I can, um, see you a lot better."

"Oh?" Chloe stretched again – this time for show. "And what's the verdict?"

"A lot better," the brunette mumbled, nibbling on her lip.

"My eyes are up here, Max," Chloe said, laughing at Max's gaze aimed much lower.

"So? Who cares?"

"Oh, so you're feelin' sassy today? Fine." She yanked the covers off of Max, pulling a sharp gasp from the girl as she automatically covered herself with her hands. "Dude, seriously?" The punk asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Old anxieties die hard, I guess," Max chuckled as she slowly removed her hands. Chloe's face lost all note of emotion as she greedily gawked at the girl. Max could practically see the needle skipping in her head.

_Okay, that is a pretty nice feeling._

"Jesus _fuckin'_ Christ," Chloe finally exhaled, shaking her head in amazement. "Okay, I see what you mean about the lighting situation." She laughed, waving a hand at her neck. "Well, that backfired. I was trying to force you to get up but now I just want to get back in bed for round two."

"You're such a freaking dork," Max said, sitting up and shuffling to the edge of the bed. "But we should probably head to your place so we can figure out what to do with the rest of the day."

"I already _know_ what I wanna do!" Chloe whined, hopping up and down in a fake tantrum.

_Boy, that has a much different effect when you're not wearing any clothes._

"Sweetheart," Max said as she stood up, settling her hand against Chloe's cheek. The girl nestled into it, purring at the newest pet name. "I would love to. Seriously. But I actually am kind of sore." She snickered and turned around. "How's my back look, by the way?"

"Uhh," Chloe winced, sucking air through teeth, "like Freddy Kreuger gave you a shiatsu."

"Meh, I'll take it," she said with a shrug, gliding over to her dresser. "I'm sure I have an ugly red and green sweater in here if you're interested."

* * *

"I look like a fuckin' nightmare," Chloe snirked, twisting side to side as she looked in the mirror. She had pulled her too big for her, dark green sweatpants back on, though Max frantically insisted that the girl borrow a shirt rather than wear the one she came in. While she looked good in the light blue tee, her height advantage over Max was evident as a bit of her belly was exposed, not to mention the tightness of the shirt highlighting her lack of bra. She glanced down at her neon green socks and chuckled, wriggling her toes into the carpet.

"You're a freakin' giant!" Max laughed, prodding the girl in the stomach. She 'hmm'd' as she looked over her wardrobe. "Okay, you should take my heavy jacket. I can just wear a hoodie until we get to your place."

"Aw, so womantic," Chloe said as the smaller girl slipped the parka around her.

"Uh huh," she muttered sarcastically. She picked Chloe's beanie, which had been in Max's possession for a while now, off the desk and handed it to her. "Here, for the cold. And the...color scheme, I guess." The punk pulled it on and returned her gaze to the mirror, grinning when the jacket suffered the same issue as the shirt. "You look like a Final Fantasy character," she laughed.

"I really do," she said. "All I'm missing is an impractically large sword!" She stuck her tongue through her teeth as she smiled. "How rad would that be?"

"Babe, I get nervous watching you spread butter on toast. No anime weapons for you."

"Fair enough," she conceded with a pout. "Word on the street is they're renaming Murphy's Law to Chloe's Law."

"I actually started that petition," Max quipped as she dropped a pair of shoes in front of Chloe. "Uh, I guess just...cram your feet in there if they don't fit?" The girl did as she was told, cackling when her heels stuck out over the backs of the sneakers. Max tied her own shoes and hopped back up, pulling Chloe into a hug. "Alright, baby? You ready to head out?"

"Yesh!" She slung Max's overnight bag over her shoulder. Max watched her for a moment and shook her head with a warm smile. "What?"

"You're just...too cute." She faced the door and rested her hand on the handle before throwing a devious glance over her shoulder. "Your tummy is cute. Wanna kiss it." The punk bared her teeth and lifted her shirt up even further, gyrating her hips sensually. Max rolled her eyes and opened the door, holding her arm out to insist Chloe goes first. The girl paraded by her proud as a peacock. Before Max could even begin to follow, she heard a familiar voice aimed at Chloe.

_Are you...fucking forreal with me right now?_

"Heya, Vicky!" Chloe greeted, beaming down at the blonde girl. Victoria's mouth hung slightly ajar as her eyes fidgeted across the punk's clothes. Grumbling under her breath, Max took her place next to Chloe and pulled her door shut behind her.

"Cool...outfit?" Victoria said, holding up a halfhearted thumbs up. She turned her attention to Max and greeted her as well. "Hi, Max."

"Hey Vic," Max said. "How's it going?"

"Meh," she offered with a shrug. "Just got back from the doctor's. Going to be able to stop wearing this thing soon." She shook her wrist at the brunette. Her head snapped in realization. "Oh shit, hey. Do you know _anything_ about this new photography teacher? I was up all night trying to get the dirt and I'm pretty sure that shit is paved."

"I actually don't," Max admitted. "They haven't even given us a name yet, have they?"

"Nope," Victoria said. "Haven't given us a fucking clue." She sighed somberly. "I mean, I guess anything is an improvement, right?" At that, Max felt Chloe's fingers desperately wind between hers.

"I'd say," she responded quietly, remembering again what initially spurred her wonderful night. She forced on a smile. "But it'll be nice to actually take a class on the thing I came here for, you know?"

"Amen to that." Victoria turned to her door and scowled. "Speaking of, I'm trying to set up a submission to a magazine. I guess I'll swallow my self-doubt and get back to working on that. I'll catch you guys later?" Receiving a nod from Max, she turned and opened her door, taking a small step inside. "Oh, Chloe?" She asked over her shoulder.

"Yup?"

"Maybe bite down on a belt next time? You sounded like a fucking banshee." With one final, victorious smirk, she disappeared behind the door. Max's face immediately felt hot. She looked at Chloe who stared back with a big, open mouthed smile.

_Oh god someone kill me. It had to be HER?!_

"Holy shit," the punk sputtered as she began to laugh. "See that, Max? You did such a good job!" She playfully tousled the hair on the brunette's head.

"Literally the first person we see," she grumbled, dragging Chloe down the hall. The girl continued to laugh, which didn't do much for Max's embarrassment.

With a bit of spryness in their pace, they maneuvered across campus hand in hand until they reached Chloe's truck. To her relief, the path was mostly clear, and those that were out and about didn't stop the to start conversation. As she took her seat in the truck, Max let her skull bounce off the headrest as she sighed.

"We made it," she said.

"We did!" Chloe reached across Max and opened the glove compartment, revealing a smashed up pack of cigarettes. "Sweet, this is like change in the couch cushion! Except...instead of moneys, it's coping mechanisms and addiction." She shrugged, then plucked one out and placed it between her lips. "What..." She muffled as she rolled her thumb on the wheel of the lighter, conjuring a flame. "What are you so nervous about, anyway? You ashamed of me, Miss Caulfield?" She perked an eyebrow teasingly.

"What? No! I'm not ashamed! I guess I just don't feel like it needs to be front page news." She snickered as she waved her hands, simulating a splash screen. "Breaking news: neurotic girl finally gets laid! More at eleven!"

"I'd tune into that," Chloe laughed, exhaling a plume of smoke through the cracked window. She looked at Max and pouted. "Is so cold."

"It's not my fault you're built like Jack Skellington," she said, once again poking Chloe's exposed stomach. Her smile morphed into a frown. "That was really scary last night, babe. You were like, catatonic."

"I just... _needed_ to be with you as fast as possible. I needed to make sure you were...I don't know, still there?" She shrugged and turned her attention to the ignition as she twisted the key, bringing the engine to a roar.

"I'm still sorry you had to see that," Max mumbled. "But I guess if it had to happen, I'm happy it went the way it did. Funny how that works, huh?"

_Basically the title of my autobiography._

"Fucking hilarious," Chloe replied dryly, offering Max a smirk. She slid a disc into the stereo, waiting patiently as the song started. "Kay, wave bye bye to Blackhell, Maxy," she said as the truck reversed out of the parking space.

"Buh-bye Blackhell!" Max shouted, waving her hand frantically as she looked out the window.

* * *

Whistling, Chloe opened the door to her house and found herself face to face with David in uniform, presumably ready to leave for his shift at Blackwell. His face contorted into confusion as he looked her up and down. She stared up at him, a deer in the headlights. After a painstaking moment of silence, she released a low, dorky 'heh.'

_Fuckin' busted for realz._

"I have an awesome explanation," she said, raising her index finger. He closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling a small chuckle.

"I don't...I don't want to know. I _really_ don't." He turned his gaze toward Max and smiled. "Hey, Max. How are you?"

_Play it cool, Maxine._

"I'm wonderful," she said. It came out _way_ tooauthentically, with a tone of dreaminess as she scrunched her shoulders innocently. Instant regret took her when she saw his reaction, something which could only be described as 'blech.' She felt her cheeks grow hot. "I mean...I had, I did...we..."

_OH NO WHAT HATH YOU WROUGHT MAX?!_

"Welp," Chloe said, rocking back on her heels, "this ain't awkward at all!" She rolled her eyes as she facepalmed. "Congrats, David. You're the second person to know!"

"I know nothing," he stuttered, pulling the bill of his hat down over his eyes. "I know nothing. Nothing has occurred. I have to..." He whipped around and snatched his keys off the hook. "I Blackwell to have go." He grimaced. "No, have to go to Blackwell. For work. So...yes. Alright, then." His cheeks were noticeably red, perhaps even competing against Max's. He shuffled passed them and stumbled for his car. "Okay. Have fun, girls." He came to a screeching halt and spun back around. "I'm not implying-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Chloe screeched, doubling over in a fit of laughter. "Go to work, man!"

"Yes ma'am!" He replied, offering a proper salute. The punk's hysterics grew louder when he confusingly looked at his own hand, as if asking 'what the fuck was that?' She prodded Max into the house as David got in the car, slamming the door behind them before he was fully out of the driveway.

"Okay, that was _all_ you," she mocked, skating into the kitchen with a devious grin. Flustered, Max followed, gripping at her elbow in embarrassment.

_Why did this happen._

"I didn't mean to! I was just talking to him! You're the one who straight up admitted it!" She watched as Chloe rifled through the drawers below the microwave. "What are you looking for?"

"Trying to find a sharpie so I can write 'WE HAD SEX' on your forehead..." She glanced over her shoulder at the girl. "Cut out the middleman, you know?"

"You're such a bitch," Max snickered, releasing the tension in her shoulders. "You're totally loving this, aren't you?"

"Of course," she said, spinning back around and wrapping Max in a hug. "I mean, okay, I'll be fair. I obviously understand why you're embarrassed. But I don't feel that. I'm just happy and proud and in love! If you'd let me, I'd put up a fucking billboard!"

"Let's keep that in your back pocket," Max replied, nuzzling into the punk's chest. "Tuck it away for a rainy day, eh?" She laughed lightly. "But seriously, let's not just bring it up all willy-nilly, okay? Could you imagine Kate's reaction?"

"Okay, that one is fair," she admitted. "I'm not sure you give her enough credit, but no doubt she'd turn red as shit."

"I kind of just imagine her head flying off like in those old Airheads commercials," Max said. She slipped out of Chloe's grasp and wandered to the fridge, retrieving a bottle of water. "So," she narrowed her eyes as she unscrewed the cap, "we're here. What's the plan?"

"The plan is...I want to take a shower, first and foremost. I need the hot water so bad." She peeled the jacket off her shoulders and tucked it under her arm. "Cryostasis is not where I need it to be on a comfort scale."

"Ooh, yeah. That's a good plan. I should take one too and get all the stale sweat off me."

"You know..." Chloe began, her tone playful as she stalked toward her.

_You think you're slick._

"When does Joyce get home?" Max asked, crossing her arms. Chloe slouched over and pouted.

"Such a buzzkill," she groaned.

* * *

Max was lying on Chloe's bed as she scrolled through her phone, shamelessly scouring social media to see what was going on in her peers' lives. As she did so, a text dropped down from the top of the screen.

**Victoria:** OKAY

**Victoria:** I sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was just playing :c

**Victoria:** You're not pissed at me, right?

_Holy shit, the sky is falling. Should I mess with her? ...nah._

**Max:** Of course not :*

**Max:** You made Chloe happy so by proxy you made me happy

**Victoria:** K good

**Victoria:** Now it's your turn to apologize for giving me a conscience

**Max:** Nah dawg nah

**Victoria:** finefck u then

**Victoria:** OH WAIT SORRY THATS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF

"Rude," Max said with a chuckle. As she started to text back, Chloe burst through the door, roughly scrubbing a towel through her hair. Max's eyes scanned over the girl, focusing on the way the towel wrapped around her clung to her curves.

_Oh dear god._

"Sorry I took so long," she said. "I had to defrost." She sat down next to Max and finished drying her hair, tossing the towel onto the floor. The brunette stared up at her with big eyes. "What?" Chloe asked sweetly, reaching to brush some hair out of Max's face.

"I'm just really happy that this," she waved a hand over Chloe's body, "can be the norm now. That there's no like...wall between us anymore." She shrugged. "I guess that was more my fault, but you know what I mean."

"It wasn't _your_ fault," the punk reprimanded. "Please don't feel that way. For me?" Max nodded slowly as Chloe lay down next to her. "That's my girl. Nothing between us to keep us apart anymore." She pecked Max on the cheek before smiling. "Nothing between us, especially..." She sat back up and unhooked the knot of the towel, letting it pool around her hips on the bed. "Especially no fucking towels, yo!"

"Yum," Max said, resting her hand on Chloe's thigh. She let out a small gasp. "Dude, holy shit, I just realized we can just...do that whenever we want now!"

_EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT NOW!_

"Whenever we want, eh?" She flashed a smirk before sighing. "I don't know, man. That's a slippery slope. Only a matter of time before we're in handcuffs because the playground isn't an 'appropriate place for cunnilingus.'" She used air quotes on the last part. "Fuckin' lame rules."

"Oh my gosh!" Max laughed. "The jungle gym though!" She fluttered her lashes as her hand crept toward Chloe's inner thigh.

"I still think you should've joined me in the shower," Chloe purred, lightly brushing the backs of her fingers against Max's cheek.

"Yeah, I think I mighta fucked that all kinds of up," she giggled.

"It was fun," she said, her voice low. "Was all soapy and slippery. Lots of steam, too. And I..." There was the sound of a door closing downstairs. Chloe's eyes went wide. "And _I_ think Joyce could go without seeing us like this!" She laughed as she lightly smacked Max's shoulder. "Go take your shower so I can get dressed and meet her downstairs!"

"Woah, what the hell happened to getting a billboard!?" Max cackled as she sprang from the bed, picking up a pile of clothes.

"Dude, it's my _mom_ ," Chloe snipped.

"Fine, whatever," Max pouted, hurrying to the bedroom door. "If I had known you'd be this way, I wouldn't have texted my parents while you were in the shower." She opened the door, but turned back around. "I thought we were celebrating, I included them in the mass text." Chloe scowled.

"Don't even joke!" She waved her hands. "I just got them back! They can't hate me yet!"

After her shower, Max and Chloe spent some time watching television with Joyce. Luckily, Max was able to keep a straight face, though she was surprised at how much effort it actually took. Even before her shower, she could see something different in the mirror. No matter what expression she made, be it sad, angry or silly, she could still see an overall shade of happiness. Suddenly the term afterglow made sense.

* * *

They walked through the aisles of the drug store, flirting openly and giggling in their pursuit of more hair dye for Chloe.

"So much Christmas stuff." Max picked up a small, stuffed reindeer and held it out to Chloe. "Halloween is best, but I do love this time of year too."

"I like it a lot more now," Chloe said, throwing an arm around Max. "Christmas has been so shitty the past five years, dude. Luckily, this year Santa came in October!" She pulled Max against her tightly and kissed her cheek.

"Which reminds me," Max set the stuffed animal back on the shelf, "what do you want for Christmas?"

"I don't need anything else," the punk replied. She held her hands up in defense when Max pouted. "Seriously, I'm totally good. I have everything I want."

"Well, that sucks and is a bad answer and you smell," Max shot back. "Come on, give me _something_ to work with."

"I do not smell..." Chloe grumbled as she pulled the girl by the wrist into hair product aisle. "I'm being serious. Every second you're with me is honestly a gift." She came to an abrupt stop and scrunched her nose, summoning a sound of disgust from her throat. "Ew, that was so over the top."

"You're the cheesiest," Max said, stifling her laughter. "I cannot believe how much of a stealth romantic you are."

"All your fault," she said. She took a few more steps and turned toward the hair dye. "Let's see...I guess I should probably just grab a few. Save future me some headaches."

"There's so many colors, wow," the brunette said.

_It's like an emo rainbow. Is that an oxymoron?_

"Sure are. Which one are you going to pick?" Chloe smirked at the girl, casually tossing one of the boxes up and down in her hand. Max snorted.

"Yeah, there you go. That'll be your Christmas present," she said dryly. She heard a sharp intake of breath and turned to see Chloe grinning, her eyes shimmering in the closest thing Max had ever seen to real life anime. "Son of a bitch..." She slapped a hand against her face.

"Oh relax, you killjoy," Chloe snickered. "I'm only teasing. It'd be cute as fuck, but I also love you the way you are. Your hair is beautiful."

"You think?" She asked, combing two fingers through her locks. "It's getting a bit longer. Do you think I should cut it?"

"Baby." The punk leaned down so their eyes were level. "I think you should do whatever you want. You deserve that. No matter what you do, I'll still think you're gorgeous. You could go totally Sinead if you want." She smiled as she twirled a finger through her own hair. "I mean, I've been thinking of letting mine go. Just to see, you know? Maybe it's because I've been listening to the _weird_ Beatles stuff lately, but I kind of dig the idea of letting it get long."

"Weird Beatles stuff is best stuff," Max giggled. "I like the one where I have a silver hammer!"

"Oh man," Chloe chuckled, crushing the gap between them as she pressed their bodies together. "You know it gets me _so_ hot when you talk about caving in people's skulls." Max laughed and nuzzled into the girl's chest, squirming happily in the immediate warmth she provided. She heard Chloe release a quiet laugh of her own before calling out to someone behind Max. "Hey fuckface, how's it going?" Max pulled away and followed the punk's gaze to find Frank standing between the aisles with an armful of candy. He seemed to be recovering from a startle and was now trying to reclaim the pace of his breathing.

_Wow, he looks good. Like he's taking care of himself a bit better._

"Why do you _always_ scare me!?" He shouted. Once he had collected himself, he strolled down the aisle toward them. To her surprise, he greeted Max first. "Hi Max, how are you?"

"Oh, hello Chloe! How lovely it is to see you!" The punk said with mock enthusiasm, crossing her arms as she rolled her eyes.

"I see you all the time, you brat," he replied. "Besides, I wanted to make sure you weren't keeping her hostage or something crazy." He squinted at Chloe and leaned down to the brunette's ear. "Hey," he whispered, "if she's holding you against your will, blink twice."

"Har har," Chloe said. Max quickly looked at her, then back at Frank before giving him two exaggerated blinks. "Oh no fuckin' way!" She laughed, hugging Max from behind. "You tryin' to mutiny, ya little trash monster?" Max widened her eyes and mouthed 'help me' to Frank. In response, he burst into laughter.

"I like her sense of humor," he said to Chloe.

"Yeah..." She narrowed her eyes. "It's losing its charm a little bit." Max spun around in her arms.

"You're such a liar," she giggled, darting up to kiss the punk on her cheek. "And a hella bad one at that."

"Aw Christ, now you've got her saying it," he groaned before allowing himself a chuckle. Chloe beamed at him.

"Yeah dude! Just part of my plan to hit the Hella Singularity. It's gonna happen," she said. "All you can do is prepare for the inevitable. Stock up on canned beans while you can." Frank simply scrunched his nose disapprovingly. Then he noticed Max eying the bag of candy in his arms.

_Aw, I want some candy too. Gonna go find some._

"I'm not just here to only buy candy," he said, knocking her out of her thought process. "But I mean, hypothetically, even if I was, I have a very good excuse."

"Oh?" Max snickered. "What's that?"

"I'm a grown ass adult and I'm allowed," he snipped back, turning his nose up at her. "I'm going to the liquor store next. You gonna judge me for that too?" He did a good job of actually _sounding_ upset, but his smile betrayed him.

"Huh, interesting..." Chloe said, releasing her grip on Max and taking a step to be next to Frank. "You're going to the place across the street?" She slung an arm over his shoulder.

"That's what I just said, yeah..." He sighed and hung his head when he realized her tactic. "What do you want?" Chloe began to giggle giddily as she pulled a wad of cash out of her pocket.

_She's so cute. Look at her with money and responsibilities that she offsets by convincing a friend to buy us alcohol so we can underage drink! I'm so proud!_

"Six pack of Hop Lava, a bottle of Moscato for the beautiful lady," she said, gesturing to Max, "and I'll put in some extra for you to grab something. Since I'm _such_ a good person!" She cocked her head in thought as she fiddled with the bills in her hands. She glanced at Max and smiled. "You know what? Get a cheapish bottle of champagne for me too, please?"

"Got something to celebrate?" Frank snarked as she counted the money out in his palm.

"It'd be easier to tell you what's _not_ worth celebrating." She said with a smirk. "There, that should be enough. We'll wait for you by the RV?"

"Yes master," he sighed, tucking the money in his back pocket. "You're lucky we're friends."

"The jury's still out," she teased.

* * *

"Now _this_ is classy," Max said as Chloe poured the champagne into her red solo cup.

"Hey," she said, now tilting the bottle into her own cup, "I do the best with what I got." The two sat on Chloe's bed, their legs crossed beneath them. The punk finished pouring and held the cup in the air. Max did the same with a lopsided smile.

"What are we cheers-ing?" She asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Chloe let out a feathery giggle.

"Us, of course. More specifically, us...doing the thing." She waggled her brows. "You know, we did _the thing_. The _thing_ , Max!" She waved her hand about manically, her index finger pointed at her crotch.

"I got it, you weirdo!" She laughed, playfully swiping at Chloe's shoulder. "Then say the toast or whatever."

"My pleasure," she said in a dainty voice. She touched her fingers to her throat as she cleared it dramatically, prompting an eye roll from the brunette. "A toast to us!" She declared. "To our love, to our friendship. To just...fucking being with each other and breathing air and holy shit. Also I just realized I don't know how to make a toast? But still!" She paused for a moment, watching Max with excited eyes. The girl smiled and swirled her hand in the air, insinuating a 'get it over with.' Chloe grinned at her. "And a special shout out to making love and me finally getting to see that sweet, sweet Max bod in all its uncovered glory." Ignoring Max's blush, she happily bopped the cups together and took a swig.

"About what I expected," Max snickered, blowing a kiss before drinking from her cup.

* * *

"I just love these so flippin' much, oh my gawwwwd," Max growled tipsily, tracing her fingers around Chloe's nipple piercings. The punk sat straddled on top of her, shaking her hips side to side, eliciting a small creaking noise from the bed. She took a sip from her cup and then carefully placed it against Max's lips, tilting it to allow the girl a sip of her own.

"I love that you love 'em," she replied, her cheeks rosy with her buzz. "I love _how_ you love all up on 'em too. Fuckin' meow." She exhaled a laugh as she used her free hand to swish through Max's hair. She pouted and looped a finger inside of Max's collar. "The fuck is this still on for?"

"Hey, you're the one who started disrobing," Max giggled, scratching gently at the denim of Chloe's jeans. She stopped and leaned around the punk, looking at the door. "We have to be super, duper, uber quiet if we don't want to wake up your parents."

"That's hella lame though!" Chloe huffed, rocking her hips forward and spilling some of her wine onto the bed. "Dangit, I do that every time."

"Literally every time," Max agreed, somewhat impressed. "Maybe for Christmas we can get them noise canceling sleepy headphones. That's a thing, right?" She pursed her lips in thought as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"Prolly definitely on the internet. You can buy anything on the internet." Chloe nodded with a serious expression, casually tossing Max's shirt over her shoulder.

"I don't know that that's true," Max said. "Can you buy the souls of the damned?" She reached behind her and unhooked her bra, which was swiftly swiped away by the blue haired girl and on the floor.

"Yeah, it was like an Amazon special two weeks ago. Did you not order yours?" She leaned down and pressed her lips against Max's neck.

"No, fuck," the brunette said, her voice fluctuating with a petite moan. "I didn't get the memo. Now how am I supposed to complete the soul stealing spell for my camera?"

"Mmn, I-unno," Chloe mumbled against her skin. Max took the cup out of Chloe's hand, which immediately darted toward her breast, her fingers kneading softly. She took a sip as her eyes fluttered in delight.

"Okay so..." Her breathing grew heavier as the punk's massage grew rougher. "I bet you can't buy like...unicorn hair." She felt a snicker bounce off her collarbone. Chloe sat up straight, goofily smiling.

"This is the _weirdest_ foreplay conversation, babe."

_But you love it. This is our thing. This is us._

"So you _can't_ buy unicorn hair," she said accusingly.

"You can, Max," she argued. "It's on the deep web with all the other illegal shit like phoenix feathers and childlike wonder."

"There's gotta be _something_ you can't buy on the internet!" She waved the cup around. Chloe sighed and buried her face in her palm with a chuckle.

"This is the hill you're going to die on? Fine," she said, climbing off of Max and standing up from the bed. "There is one thing, but it's pretty crazy. I'm not sure you can handle this level of information."

"Try me," the brunette taunted. Chloe pried the cup from Max's hand and finished it off, coolly tossing it in the...general vicinity of her trash can. The punk turned around and took a few steps, and Max could see she was fidgeting with something. She whipped around with a predatory look in her eyes as her jeans fell around her ankles. She stepped out of them, flicking her foot behind her so they slid across the floor.

"Give you a hint," she said with a silky voice, tracing one hand up to her breast while the other dipped under the waist of her panties. "I'm currently pointing at it with my right hand." A few months ago, this would have completely annihilated Max's ability to speak. But Chloe had been grooming her and last night had only strengthened her ability to fight back. She knew how to play dirty. She scooted to the edge of the bed and planted her feet on the floor.

_You have no power here, muahahaha. Except for when you do...whatever, man._

"That's your left," she said, pointing to the hand that was sweeping up and down the punk's abdomen. Chloe nodded impishly. "Well," Max sighed, slinking her shoulders. "I can't tell what you're pointing at with the other one. There's some kind of cloth blocking my view." She pounced up from the bed, closing the distance instantly and rested her hand against Chloe's slowly twitching wrist. "So, I'm gonna have to check it out for myself. That cool with you?" She asked, not waiting for an answer as her hand slid beneath the fabric.

* * *

_Oh my god, I love this. I hope she does too. I hope I'm doing okay. I h...she's crushing my head!_

"Holy fuck," Chloe gasped, out of breath and sweating as she lay on the bed. She spasmed as Max kissed her inner thigh, giving her a small tickle. The brunette raised herself on her hands and crawled to be next to Chloe, flopping down beside her.

_Evaluation time._

"How'd I do?" She asked, stroking the punk's arm. There was a tint of inward embarrassment as she moved her tongue around her mouth, savoring Chloe's taste as she watched the girl's chest heave.

"I think I blue screened," Chloe huffed. She began to chuckle. "Holy shit, how are you so good at that? You're not secretly rewinding on me for practice are you?"

"Yeah, figured I'd break my very serious vow of never doing it again for that," she replied dryly, punctuated with a giggle.

_But if there WAS a fun reason to break my vow, that'd definitely be it._

"Fantastic call, I approve one hundred percent!" She rolled onto her side, exhaling slowly one final time as her breathing evened out. Max snorted and stuck her tongue out. Chloe quickly reached toward her, snagging her tongue between her index and thumb. The brunette's brow crinkled in disapproval as she mumbled what kind of sounded like 'what are you doing?' "Can I borrow this when you're in class?"

"You're such a dork," Max laughed, pulling her head away and freeing her tongue.

"I mean, okay, but that wasn't a no," the punk responded, snuggling closer and slipping her leg across Max's waist. She closed her eyes and burrowed her face into the crook of Max's neck. There was something about this kind of position that Max adored. Though she was often the one clinging onto Chloe when they cuddled, this role reversal filled her with a sense of protection. That is, that she was the one providing the protection and comfort. Not to mention how cute it was whenever Chloe took the more stereotypically 'vulnerable' position in their relationship. It just showed how both of them were changing – mixing and melding to compliment each other perfectly when needed.

"Fine, you can have," she whispered in a faraway voice, her focus still on the comfort she felt from Chloe's body. Without much thought, her hand draped over the side of the bed and searched for her phone. Once she had found it – and struggled with actually picking it up – she brought it just above her face and took a picture, lighting up the room with a flash.

"It's weird seeing you take a picture without using your camera," Chloe mused quietly. "Can I see?" She shifted herself just a bit so she could get a better view when Max tilted the screen toward her. "Heh, look." She poked the image where her face was. "So weird, man."

"What is?"

"It's almost like I barely recognize that girl. So peaceful. Look at that zen little smile. So bad for my image, dude." She chuckled as she found Max's other hand and interlocked their fingers. "I like it."

"Me too, baby," Max said. She flicked back to the home menu, the big clock in the center of the screen catching her attention. It read 12:14AM. She smiled and felt an immense warmth burn in her heart.

_You surprised me last month, but I got you now._

"Hey..." She set her phone down beside her and rolled onto her side, locking eyes with the punk. "Happy two months." Chloe's eyes grew wide and starry.

"Two months?" She asked in a whisper.

"Uh huh." Max kissed the blue haired girl on the temple. "I love you, Chloe."

"I love you too..." She seemed to be contemplating the weight of the anniversary, her eyes skittering side to side. Finally, she scrunched her nose and pouted. "Dang, I shoulda bought two bottles of champagne then."

"Well, there's always next month," Max chuckled. She touched their noses together and smiled brightly.

"And all the ones after that," Chloe said quietly, tilting her head until their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Also known as the chapter where Chloe gets to celebrate nonstop because hey, she deserves it!
> 
> Good lord, this chapter was being SO sassy with me. Had a lot of trouble getting any words out. Bleh, no fun. So, sorry for the weird long gap in updates! And thank you for the kind words on the last chapter!
> 
> SO just a heads up for you guys. I have two more updates coming out (1 text, 1 normal) and then I'm going to take a teensy vacation from the story. I'm thinking about a month, though it could be a bit shorter or longer depending on my mood. Just want to get some time away and make sure I don't burn myself out!
> 
> Anyway, the next update should be pretty soon! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and thank you again for all your comments and reviews and love! 
> 
> P.S. Not sorry for the bad pun in the title.


	33. Bonus: Texts #3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Might have gone overboard this time... Usually I do like 25 but this time there's over 80! I couldn't stop writing them. Anyway, hope you all enjoy and I'll see you for the next chapter! XOXOXOX!

**Chloe:** THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL  
 **Chloe:** BUT THE FIRES SO DELIGHTFUL  
 **Chloe:** AND SINCE WEVE NO PLACE TO GO  
 **Max:** I understand the jukebox is driving you crazy, but do you really need to share the pain?  
 **Chloe:**...let it snow let it snow let it snow :(

* * *

**Max:** I can hear music!  
 **Max:** Can I come hang out? Everyone else is in class I'm super bored :(  
 **Dana:** duh of course! You don't even need to ask! I haven't gotten max gossips in a while :)  
 **Max:** Kay I'll be down in a minute!

* * *

**Max:** HOMEWORK IS THE WORST  
 **Chloe:** youre almost done baby, then i get you for a whole month!  
 **Max:** Can't wait. I love you!  
 **Chloe:** i love you MORE  
 **Max:** WHAT  
 **Chloe:** yeah  
 **Max:** That's SO not a thing we're going to do now.  
 **Chloe:** ok sure but that sounds like u know its true  
 **Max:** NO. I love YOU more, Chloe.  
 **Chloe:** but i love you most  
 **Max:** OH HELL NO

* * *

**Victoria:** The more I think about it, the more I think there was something wrong with my controller last night.  
 **Max:** Wow, you're such a sore loser!  
 **Victoria:** I'm serious! I used a different controller the first time and I kicked everyone's ass!  
 **Max:** Just admit it, you're the Smash Bros. equivalent of A Flock of Seagulls  
 **Victoria:** EXCUSE YOU

* * *

 

**Max:** Babe I love you to death, you mean the world to me, you are my sunshine.  
 **Chloe:**...but?  
 **Max:** But PLEASE stop sending me the turtle kid video. It's not funny anymore.  
 **Chloe:** woah man i gotta ask whens the last time you checked yourself  
 **Max:** Chloe  
 **Chloe:** cuz you are dangerously close to wrecking yourself  
 **Max:** Chloe please

* * *

**Brooke:** Hey, this a weird question, but do you have any suggestions for Christmas presents for Warren?  
 **Max:** the trick is to breathe thru your nose and not eat a lot beforehand  
 **Brooke:** Um?  
 **Max:** OMG I'm SO sorry! That was Chloe! She doesn't have a good filter for when things are appropriate.  
 **Max:** Anyway, Warren likes all kinds of stuff, you know that! I'm sure he'd love anything to do with games or pop culture, maybe something you're both fans of!  
 **Brooke:** No, hang on. What's Chloe's number?

* * *

**Chloe:** max max hey guess what hey max  
 **Max:** Lol, Chloe I KNOW. I was there too!  
 **Chloe:** oh  
 **Chloe:** but guess what!  
 **Max:** SIGH. What?  
 **Chloe:** we hella did the thing!

* * *

**Kate:** And then the graphics got very strange and they ate a cake made of organs  
 **Kate:** I did not like it  
 **Max:** I'm sorry, Kate. I don't know why she showed that to you.  
 **Kate:** It started so nice! :(  
 **Max:** Don't worry, I'll give her a talkin' to.

* * *

**Chloe:** so then pete just told the guy to get the fuck out!  
 **Max:** Hahaha oh man that's nuts! Then what happened?  
 **Chloe:** he got the fuck out?  
 **Max:** Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. I was just expecting something more exciting.  
 **Chloe:** damn man come on i think weve had enough excitement  
 **Max:** You're not wrong.  
 **Chloe:** aint never been wrong once in my life  
 **Chloe:** okay maybe there was that one time and also that other and usually three times a day

* * *

**Alyssa:** Hi Max, would you be interested in coming to our next book club hang out?  
 **Alyssa:** Brooke said you'd probably be into it. We basically just sit around and read out loud.  
 **Alyssa:** Starting Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman this time.  
 **Max:** That sounds so fun! So long as you go easy on making me read out loud.  
 **Alyssa:** Don't worry. Book club also = social anxiety club  
 **Max:** Sweet! A twofer!

* * *

**Chloe:** babe come to warrens  
 **Max:** Warren's? Wait, are you here?  
 **Chloe:** ya!  
 **Chloe:** you were in class so i came to bug warwar instead  
 **Chloe:** hes grumpy i made him hook up his ps2 so we could play katamari  
 **Chloe:** also doesnt appreciate me singing the theme song into his ear  
 **Chloe:** so yeah, real chill peaceful vibe we got going on here  
 **Max:** It makes me so happy to see you getting along with people  
 **Chloe:** hey sure lets call it that

* * *

**Max:** Hi Courtney, when are you leaving for the holidays?  
 **Courtney:** Not for a few days. Why, what up?  
 **Max:** I think I'm going to need your help with something...

* * *

**Max:** Chloe Elizabeth  
 **Chloe:** ffffffuuuuuccckk  
 **Chloe:** im sorry! i thought shed like it!  
 **Max:** In what UNIVERSE would Kate enjoy Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared?  
 **Chloe:** idk! the cool one!?  
 **Max:** You're a mess, babe.  
 **Chloe:** nows probably a bad time to tell you i bought her a chuck palahniuk book, huh?

* * *

**Frank:** hey max, it's frank  
 **Frank:** Chloe's phone died so she told me to text you that she's almost off and will be over soon  
 **Max:** Okay, thank you! And now I have your number, muahaha!  
 **Frank:** what's that evil laugh for  
 **Max:** I can annoy you all the time for cute pics of Pompidou!  
 **Frank:** You say that like I dont already have hundreds on my phone

* * *

**Chloe:** so the madre wants to go out and get a tree tomorrow, wanna come with?  
 **Max:** Yeah! That sounds fun! My parents have been doing a fake tree for a while and it makes me sad.  
 **Chloe:** kinda disappointed your pops isnt living up to his lumberjack look  
 **Chloe:** i thought cutting down trees was like his version of a morning crossword  
 **Max:** More like snickering into his coffee as he watches cat videos  
 **Chloe:** the internet was a mistake

* * *

**Kate:** WHATS YOUR FAVORITE IDEA!?  
 **Max:** Kate? It's 2AM  
 **Kate:** MINE IS BEING CREATIVE!  
 **Max:** Wait, have you been rewatching it?  
 **Kate:** I think I understand it now. I have many theories! You can come over and I can make tea and I'll tell you about them!  
 **Max:** It's 2AM?  
 **Kate:** Chamomile it is!

* * *

**Chloe:** dadvid chronicles entry #493  
 **Chloe:** the subject has bought me a small pack of sour patch kids  
 **Chloe:** he said they reminded him of me  
 **Chloe:** subject has also taken the time to show me his favorite albums  
 **Chloe:** quality must be further analyzed. results at this time are inconclusive  
 **Max:** Jesus Christ this is enthralling.

* * *

**Max:** Victoria what if we didn't need to blink  
 **Victoria:**?  
 **Max:** I'm going to try  
 **Victoria:** Are you like, totally baked?  
 **Max:** Are you like totally snaked  
 **Max:** list of burn centers in the united states  
 **Victoria:** Did you just fuck up your own joke by trying to google in our text messages?  
 **Max:** I had to blink is too hard

* * *

**Chloe:** or a trampoline!  
 **Chloe:** i could sneak in while your in class and hide under the desk!  
 **Chloe:** the blackwell pool obvi, we shoulda just did it the first time  
 **Chloe:** AT THE TWO WHALES WHILE IM WORKING!  
 **Max:** Those all seem like they'd end with us in jail.  
 **Chloe:** IN JAIL!

* * *

**Warren:** I AM FREAKING OUT WHAT DO I GET BROOKE FOR CHRISTMAS  
 **Max:** Why does everyone keep asking me for gift advice!?  
 **Warren:** YOU ARE GIRL. WHAT GIRL GIFT.  
 **Max:** A "girl" gift? Really dude?  
 **Warren:** Okay sorry but also help pls  
 **Max:** Hang on.  
 **Max:** waaaaaaarrreen what up babybear  
 **Warren:** Chloe?  
 **Max:** ya sec let me read  
 **Max:** ok so what your gonna wanna do is practice your ABCs  
 **Warren:** I'm so lost  
 **Max:** lol ill text you

* * *

**Chloe:** guessss who just had the coolest table ever  
 **Max:** Who!?  
 **Chloe:** noooooot fuckin meeeeeee!  
 **Chloe:** spent the whole time whispering about my looks and then didnt tip  
 **Max:** Woah, what a bunch of assholes.  
 **Max:** Maybe they were super jelly because you're the hottest thing around  
 **Chloe:** i mean OBVIOUSLY but its still hella rude!  
 **Max:** Never change, my love.

* * *

**Daniel:** Hi Max  
 **Daniel:** Thanks again for letting me sketch you! Not many people let me.  
 **Max:** Of course, Daniel! It was amazing! They'll regret it someday when you make it big!  
 **Daniel:** That's so kind of you. Here's to hoping.

* * *

**Max:** I don't know how you can say that with a straight face.  
 **Chloe:** in fairness nothing about this face is particularly straight so  
 **Chloe:** checkmate as fuck

* * *

**Joyce:** Hey sweetie, just letting you know some of your clothes turned up in the wash. They're here when you need them. =)  
 **Max:** Ohhhhhhkay. Thank you Joyce! Don't know how that happened, sorry.  
 **Joyce:** Yeah, it sure is a real mystery.

* * *

**Max:** MORE  
 **Chloe:** MOST  
 **Max:** I love you x10000  
 **Chloe:** i love you a million and twelve  
 **Max:** I love you more than there are stars in the sky  
 **Chloe:** well i love you more than that  
 **Max:** Wow what kind of Konami Code bullshit is that

* * *

**Dana:** Hey thank you SO much for helping out with the decorations!  
 **Dana:** Would have taken me forever by myself.  
 **Max:** Hey, Dana-da.  
 **Dana:** You give me shit for puns but I get it from you.  
 **Dana:** lol  
 **Dana:** I LEARNED IT FROM YOU MAX. I LEARNED IT FROM WATCHING YOU.

* * *

**Chloe:** come on maxine  
 **Max:** Come on what?  
 **Chloe:** i swear well i mean  
 **Max:** I'm confused.  
 **Chloe:** at this moment YOU MEAN EVERYTHING  
 **Max:** Ohhhh you're being dumb.  
 **Chloe:** how dare you i wrote that song for you

* * *

**Victoria:** Hey, can I ask you a kind of weird question?  
 **Max:** Are you going to ask me what you should get Kate for Christmas?  
 **Victoria:**...no  
 **Max:** Vic.  
 **Victoria:** Okay, MAYBE I was going to ask something that was sort of kinda in that ballpark.  
 **Max:** And by in that ballpark, did you mean literally up to bat?  
 **Max:** Don't worry, you're not the first person to ask me what they should get for the person they like.  
 **Max:** Seriously, both Warren AND Brooke asked me! Weird, right?  
 **Victoria:** What do you mean LIKE?  
 **Max:** Oh, right. You still think it's a secret! Sorry! :p  
 **Victoria:** I'm going to come over there and punch you in the tits.  
 **Max:** I'm not sure she'd like that, you can't break your hand twice! That's basically re-gifting!  
 **Max:** LOL I just heard you scream

* * *

**Chloe:** so now that were banging  
 **Max:** Is that really what we're going to call it?  
 **Chloe:**?  
 **Chloe:** boning? slamming? humping? porking? screwing? fornicating? nailing? flompbuggling?  
 **Max:** That last one sounds like a Dr. Seuss word.  
 **Chloe:** i will flomp you in a chair, i will flomp you anywhere!  
 **Max:** Jesus Christ, it's Niagara Falls in my pants.  
 **Chloe:** yeah see, i know how to get you going

* * *

**Kate:** Thanks so much again for agreeing to look after Alice while I'm away.  
 **Kate:** Car rides make her so anxious so I try not to make her go through it when I can  
 **Max:** Aw, the poor thing! It's no problem Kate, I'm excited to have a roommate!  
 **Kate:** I told her she was going to be staying with Aunt Max and her ear twitched so I think she's excited too!  
 **Max:** Kate Marsh – the bunny whisperer! You could have a show!

* * *

**Chloe:** truth or dare  
 **Max:** Oh, we're doing this now?  
 **Chloe:** im bored!  
 **Max:** Alright. Truth.  
 **Chloe:** oooooooo  
 **Chloe:** have you ever touched my butt while i was sleeping?  
 **Max:** Is that seriously the question you had in the chamber?  
 **Max:** Of course I have. I even build a little shrine to it and pray sometimes.  
 **Max:** Cuz that thing is #blessed  
 **Chloe:** no hashtag

* * *

**Max:** Hey Jul  
 **Max:** I heard about you and Zach. Just wanted to say sorry and I'm here if you need to talk.  
 **Juliet:** Thanks Max, I really appreciate it.  
 **Juliet:** I'm proud of myself for finally ending it for good but it still hurts to not have someone, you know?  
 **Max:** I can imagine. But I'm here for you and so is everyone else! Come to the next Avril Lavigne hangout, it'll take your mind off it.  
 **Juliet:** The what hangout?  
 **Max:** It's what me and Dana call getting stoned with all the skater boys.  
 **Max:** That guy you made out with that one time is usually there!  
 **Juliet:** I forgot about him! Lol, he seemed nice.

* * *

**Chloe:** it was one of those pushpop ones thats like orange sherbet flavor?  
 **Chloe:** we used to eat them all the time when we were kids  
 **Max:** Oh man I totally remember now! Those were awesome.  
 **Chloe:** yeah! so anyway in my dream it had chicken legs and was chasing me through a hedge maze  
 **Max:** That's really fucking weird.  
 **Chloe:** what do you think it means?  
 **Max:** I think it means I want one of those now.

* * *

**Frank:** I didn't know you smoked. you don't really seem the type  
 **Max:** Yes, well, Chloe can be persuasive. As I'm sure you're aware.  
 **Frank:** yeah no kidding. She's a pain in the ass sometimes but she's a sweet kid.  
 **Frank:** you know actually, I'm really glad she has you  
 **Frank:** She deserves happiness after all this time, you know?  
 **Max:** That's really sweet. You're a big ol' softie.  
 **Frank:** maybe. Don't tell anyone.  
 **Frank:** And if you and the brat want to hang out and smoke up sometime, I'm available!

* * *

**Max:** Soooo, hey. Just a heads up. Not a big deal or anything but...  
 **Chloe:** whats wrong? are you okay?  
 **Max:** Oh yeah, I'm fine! Nothing weird like that.  
 **Chloe:** k good. so whats the not a big deal but actually probably?  
 **Max:** I'm like 99% sure your mother knows.  
 **Chloe:** DAVID YOU TRAITOR  
 **Max:** Mmmm noooo. Remember how we couldn't find my underwear and you said the force of our makeouts must have vaporized it?  
 **Chloe:** vaguely. sounds like something id say  
 **Max:** Yeah so it turns out I was right when I said that was impossible. They actually ended up in your laundry with some of my other clothes.  
 **Chloe:** that is unfortunate  
 **Max:** But I mean, hey! Look on the bright side!  
 **Chloe:** yeah?  
 **Max:** I didn't have to do my own laundry!

* * *

**Justin:** yo Max  
 **Max:** Hey dude! What's up?  
 **Justin:** nm. I just wanted to say thanks for being so cool and I'm happy that we're friends.  
 **Max:** Uh...I mean, thank you and the feeling is mutual, but where did that come from?  
 **Justin:** meh I'm sober, caught in a thought loop so im texting all the people I care about

* * *

**Max:** Oh nevermind, I figured it out.  
 **Chloe:** what was wrong with it?  
 **Max:** I was just resetting the clock instead of actually doing a cooking time.  
 **Chloe:** wtf kind of microwave are you using  
 **Max:** I don't know! It's like prehistoric. I think Samuel dug it up.

* * *

**Victoria:** So like is Chloe a good lay what are the details  
 **Max:** That's a little personal, no?  
 **Victoria:** Ohhh come on! Friends talk about stuff like this!  
 **Max:** Fine, she was perfectly lovely tyvm.  
 **Victoria:** Wow, sparing no details I see.  
 **Max:** What do you want to hear? That we made love while riding a unicorn through space?  
 **Victoria:** UH YES?

* * *

**Chloe:** is my turn  
 **Max:** Kay, truth or dare?  
 **Chloe:** dare!  
 **Max:** How am I supposed to dare you over text message? I kinda assumed this was truth only.  
 **Chloe:** idk ill take a picture or something to prove it  
 **Max:** Ha! Good idea. I dare you to send me a dirty pic ;)  
…  
 **Max:** Okay WOW I was not expecting you to do it!  
 **Chloe:** that was your first mistake

* * *

**Mom:** Maxine Caulfield, I cannot believe you don't want to spend Christmas with your family!  
 **Max:** What!? That's not it at all! Dad said it'd be okay if I stayed with Chloe!  
 **Mom:** Oh believe me, I've already talked to him about it. I just can't believe you don't want to see us.  
 **Max:** Mom! I do too! I just thought it'd be easier to stay up here and I'd get to spend my first Christmas with her.  
 **Mom:** JK, we're going on vacay to San Fran to see your aunt! But I still want a Skype call at some point!  
 **Max:** Mom that was so mean

* * *

**Chloe:** hey qt, wanna go on a date tonight to this cool new place i discovered?  
 **Max:** Hell to the yeah! Where?!  
 **Chloe:** its called the bone zone  
 **Max:** You are such a dork.  
 **Chloe:** yeah but u love it so many  
 **Max:** It's true...FOR SOME REASON  
 **Chloe:** rude

* * *

**Max:** DO YOU UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS  
 **Taylor:** What? he's still talking? i've been daydreaming.  
 **Max:** About what? Let me in there so I can escape this hell of numbers  
 **Taylor:** idk just thinkin about like if pools were upside down  
 **Max:** I'm sorry?  
 **Taylor:** Yeah! and you could still swim in them for some reason but to get out you had to swim down and then fall onto a trampoline.  
 **Taylor:** Also how you get in btw  
 **Max:** Woah.  
 **Taylor:** ikr? I was totally zoned lol. Anyway, have I missed anything important? fill me in just in case he calls on me.  
 **Taylor:** Max?  
 **Taylor:** oh are you serious

* * *

**Max:** Baboo can we get pizza tonight? I'm craving.  
 **Chloe:** yeah that sounds really good actually  
 **Max:** And maybe some breadsticks?  
 **Chloe:** thats so much starch, we'd prolly die  
 **Chloe:** they are good though so yeah ill get some  
 **Chloe:** toppings?  
 **Max:** Hawaiian!  
 **Chloe:** wtf is wrong with pepperoni holy goddamn

* * *

**Max:** I've been making Chloe watch it, she totally loves it  
 **Warren:** Awesome! It should be required viewing for everyone.  
 **Max:** I think she has a legit crush on both Mustang AND Hawkeye  
 **Warren:** I mean I wouldn't kick Colonel Mustang out of bed for eating crackers  
 **Max:** Gay for an anime character. This is why I love you.

* * *

**Chloe:** pete just yelled at me!  
 **Max:** What did you do!?  
 **Chloe:** i was totally spacing and didnt hear a customer come in  
 **Chloe:** in my defense, i was thinkin about how cute you are  
 **Max:** Stop, you're a butt.  
 **Chloe:** maybe be a little less perfect then. its not my fault!

* * *

**Max:** We can use this chat as our super secret pirate club.  
 **Kate:** This is so exciting! I've always wanted to be a member of a secret club.  
 **Chloe:** yeah we gon wreck shit up!  
 **Max:** Actually, my main goal here was to give you a place to text us in case you're not feeling great, Kate.  
 **Chloe:** yeah like if were hanging out and you start to feel anxious, text here so we can take care of it but sneakily  
 **Kate:** That's so sweet. I love you guys!  
 **Max:** We love you too Kate :)  
 **Chloe:** she said she loves me its too cute  
 **Kate:** Um...can we still talk about other pirate secrets too?  
 **Max:** Lol of course  
 **Kate:** Yes! That is hella cool.  
 **Chloe:** my child

* * *

**Max:** Did I tell you you're going to be an aunt?  
 **Chloe:** a million questions  
 **Max:** Lol. I'm looking after Alice while Kate's away  
 **Chloe:** BUNNY?  
 **Max:** Mhm!  
 **Chloe:** BUNNY

* * *

**Trevor:** That pic you took the other day is so sick! Thx for the copy!  
 **Max:** You're welcome! Sorry if the scan is a little weird on it.  
 **Trevor:** its fine. Seriously that shot is so dope! youre like a wizard!  
 **Max:** Aw, thanks! But you're the one who actually did the trick!  
 **Trevor:** that part comes easy to me, I think what you do is way harder  
 **Max:** We're all good at different things, that's what makes us special!  
 **Trevor:** That just gave me the most real flashback to watching Mr. Rodgers

* * *

**Chloe:** so i was digging through some piles of junk in my room  
 **Chloe:** and i found a notebook FULL of the most emo music shit  
 **Max:** Hahaha aw! You were such a cute lil loser.  
 **Chloe:** yep, lemme read you some stuff from it  
 **Chloe:** "when i grow up, i want to be just like hayley williams. she is so cool and hot and the best singer ever! i want to dye my hair like hers!"  
 **Chloe:** "i think that taking back sunday is better than brand new because i dont really get brand news lyrics."  
 **Chloe:** "i want to be a groupie for mcr! we can follow them all over and maybe gerard would even make me his gf!"  
 **Max:** Wow, that is some...next level cringe, babe.  
 **Chloe:** sure is! wait a sec...huh, it says all these ones were written by 'Max C.'  
 **Max:** ….no  
 **Chloe:** HAHAHA YES. you dont remember us writing in this thing? o man.  
 **Max:** Burn it please  
 **Chloe:** never gonna happen

* * *

**Max:** Hey Pop, thanks for being so cool about me staying here for the holidays.  
 **Max:** You're the best father I have!  
 **Dad:** FINALLY! Take THAT all of Max's other dads.  
 **Max:** You'll receive your trophy and ticket of authenticity within 2-3 weeks.  
 **Dad:** I'll be sure to put it right next to my silver "favorite husband" trophy on the mantle.  
 **Max:** Hahaha omg, Mom didn't even give you first place?  
 **Dad:** I've made peace with the fact that she'll never look at me the way she looks at Ryan Gosling.

* * *

**Chloe:** guess who just came into the two whales  
 **Max:** Tupac?!  
 **Chloe:** that would have been way cooler  
 **Chloe:** it was the reporter that down with the vickness lit the fuck up  
 **Max:** Are you for real!? Did he recognize you?  
 **Chloe:** uhhhhh maybe idk  
 **Max:** Chlo...  
 **Chloe:** ok yea he definitely recognized me  
 **Max:** You shit talked him didn't you?  
 **Chloe:** no! i very kindly let him know that if he did it again, he'd be lucky if vic got to him before me  
 **Chloe:** and then i may have told him 'sorry were out of bird seed' because he has a honkin ass beak now  
 **Max:** I can't even be mad, you know I get all swoon-y when you act tough for Kate.

* * *

**Max:** I don't know! It's weird, man! It's freaking me out!  
 **Warren:** Then stop watching the video?  
 **Max:** I can't! It won't let me!  
 **Warren:** Dude are you serious right now  
 **Max:** Why does its head move so slow what is wrong with this planet  
 **Warren:** Okay, for future reference, you're not allowed to watch videos of praying mantises while high anymore.

* * *

**Chloe:** hey i know your in class but i just wanted to say i love you more than anythin  
 **Chloe:** and i wanna use ur butt as a pillow

* * *

**Kate:** Hey guys, do you think Victoria would like a drawing for Christmas or is that stupid?  
 **Chloe:** YES YES YES YES YES  
 **Max:** DO IT  
 **Kate:** That was a stronger reaction than I was expecting but okay!

* * *

**Chloe:** so...what are u wearing now?  
 **Max:** Actually, just a towel. Just got out of the shower.  
 **Chloe:** omg what yes! tell me about the shower  
 **Max:** Well, it was reeeeally steamy and I was all wet, obviously.  
 **Chloe:** go on...  
 **Max:** Then I got shampoo in my eye! It still burns!  
 **Chloe:** i just made a pterodactyl noise and now customers are looking at me  
 **Chloe:** u suck so much at dirty texting  
 **Max:** I'm okay with that.

* * *

**Dana:** So we should pee on all his stuff!  
 **Max:** Zach's an ass, but I'm not really down for bullying.  
 **Max:** Fire with fire just means more fire, you know?  
 **Dana:** ARRGH you are such a buzzkill!  
 **Dana:** And right, of course. Why do you always have to be right?  
 **Max:** Someone has to be or else there'd be no one left.

* * *

**Chloe:** did u know that coyotes greatest natural threat is gravity?  
 **Max:** That doesn't sound right.  
 **Chloe:** it is im watching a documentary right now  
 **Max:** Would this documentary happen to be sponsored by ACME?  
 **Chloe:** ooooo im way more high than i thought i was

* * *

**Max:** Hey gang, need some new music to study to. Any recommendations?  
 **Chloe:** punchline, bowie, rancid, rx bandits, alkaline trio  
 **Victoria:** The new Miley Cyrus album is so good!  
 **Chloe: t** hats garbage  
 **Victoria:** Fuck you, you gangly punk wannabe  
 **Chloe:** you fuckin wish, i know you want this  
 **Victoria:** I'd rather slit my throat with rusty scissors  
 **Chloe:** yeah if by rusty scissors u mean this puss all up in that face  
 **Victoria:** Yeah FUCKING right, I'm literally gagging  
 **Max:** DUDE  
 **Max:** Victoria, don't be a bitch to my girlfriend!  
 **Victoria:** Sorry Max  
 **Max:** Chloe, stop being a brat. You sing Wrecking Ball all the time!  
 **Chloe:** lol yea  
 **Kate:** I've been listening to the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack a lot lately, you should try that!  
 **Max:** ...thanks Kate

* * *

**Chloe:** kate is so precious i want to puke  
 **Chloe:** HOW DOES SHE NOT KNOW  
 **Max:** I just don't think she's really looking for it, you know?  
 **Chloe:** does vic know we kno?  
 **Max:** Yeah, but she still hasn't outright admitted it.  
 **Chloe:** playin the long game. i can respect that.

* * *

**Mom:** I'm going to put your presents in the mail tomorrow! :)  
 **Max:** Dang, so that means no pony then.  
 **Mom:** What sort of mother do you take me for?! But my goodness did it take forever chopping him up so he could fit in the boxes!  
 **Max:** Wooooah Mom. Too dark, reel it in.  
 **Mom:** Oh shoot. It always gets away from me.

* * *

**Chloe:** leaning toward jesus christ superstar but i have a little list to pick from  
 **Max:** It's so cute how you're going full Santa mode for our friends.  
 **Max:** Hey you didn't like, go overboard on stuff for me, right?  
 **Chloe:** nope  
 **Max:** Promise?  
 **Chloe:** well overboard is a relative term, whats overboard to u may not be to me  
 **Max:** Awww man I have to find like a million more things for you now.  
 **Chloe:** NAOOOO i dont want  
 **Max:** You're so difficult

* * *

**Taylor:** its the one with the really pale bald guy who can move stuff with his mind  
 **Max:** I have NO idea what movie you're talking about.  
 **Taylor:** damn, I think it'd be a good one for a movie night  
 **Taylor:** Even asked warren and he didn't know  
 **Taylor:** I thought he knew every movie ever?  
 **Max:** That's just what he wants you to think.  
 **Taylor:** well that's rude and false advertisement, I could sue

* * *

**Chloe:** this book makes me feel stupid  
 **Max:** What do you mean?  
 **Chloe:** he introduces a new character or place like every other sentence  
 **Chloe:** how am i supposed to keep track of this?  
 **Max:** It'd be much easier if you'd just watch the show with me.  
 **Chloe:** you mean this whole time i coulda been snuggling you and watching it instead  
 **Chloe:** fuck this warren can have it back

* * *

**Max:** You're going to be home for the whole break? :(  
 **Kate:** Yes but it's not that far! We can still get together! You could even visit me at my house!  
 **Max:** At your house? With your family?  
 **Kate:** Mhm!  
 **Max:** So...don't bring Chloe then.  
 **Kate:** Oh. I hadn't thought about that...  
 **Kate:** You know what? No. You and Chloe are definitely coming to visit.  
 **Max:** That sounds like a super not good idea, Kate. No offense.  
 **Kate:** I don't care. You're my best friend and they need to respect that.

* * *

**Max:** We're going to a sleep over!  
 **Chloe:** we are?  
 **Max:** Yeah! Victoria's idea for before everyone leaves!  
 **Chloe:** who go?  
 **Max:** Me, you, Kate, Vic, Tay, Courtney for sure. Maybe more?  
 **Chloe:** so what are the rules concerning us maybe doin a lil somesome  
 **Max:** Uhhh definitely a no go?  
 **Chloe:** yo thats wack as fuck son  
 **Max:** My room is literally across the hall if you seriously can't wait  
 **Chloe:** ya ya ya lets keep that on the itinerary

* * *

**Brooke:** Hey, so the next book club meeting is at Alyssa's apartment  
 **Brooke:** So I was thinking we could leave together  
 **Max:** Sure! Sounds like a good plan. Buddy system, right?  
 **Max:** YESSS BROOKE ACTUALLY DOESNT HATE ME  
 **Max:** oh  
 **Max:**...needless to say I meant to send that to someone else.  
 **Brooke:** You thought I hated you?  
 **Max:** Uhhhh I don't know. I wasn't really sure, I guess.  
 **Max:** This is awkward, sorry.  
 **Brooke:** I don't hate you! I think you're really cool!  
 **Brooke:** And trust me, I've done way more awkward things.

* * *

**Max:** So I got a box from my parents with presents! ^_^  
 **Chloe:** score! did they get u the 3 pounds of coke and the fuzzy handcuffs like you asked!?  
 **Max:** Totally! And by totally, I mean no!  
 **Chloe:** wooof thats just disappointing  
 **Max:** Anyway, the REASON I'm telling you is because there's some stuff marked 'Chloe'  
 **Chloe:** OMFG REALLY!?  
 **Max:** Uh huh!  
 **Chloe:** now im crying  
 **Max:** Aw babe :*  
 **Chloe:** DONT LOOK AT ME

* * *

**Courtney:** Did you get the pictures?  
 **Max:** Yes, but I'm bad at this kind of girl stuff. You look awesome in all of them.  
 **Courtney:** You don't think the red one is a little much? I prefer the navy but idk.  
 **Max:** Then get the navy one!  
 **Courtney:** Buuuut the navy one doesn't have the same like, sense of regality that the red or green one has.  
 **Max:** Wait, now I'm confused. I thought they were all the same shirt but just different colors?  
 **Courtney:** Omfg Max!  
 **Max:** I'm sorry! I don't know the difference! Have you seen my wardrobe?!  
 **Courtney:** Well now Victoria's yelling at me to get out of the dressing room. Sigh. Why is life so difficult?  
 **Max:** Get the navy one!

* * *

**Chloe:** my mother bought poptarts without frosting  
 **Chloe:** this is an act of aggression and i wont stand for it  
 **Max:** I didn't even know they made them without frosting?  
 **Max:** What's...the point?  
 **Chloe:** THANK YOU!

* * *

**Justin:** ayo we gon to jared's apartment 2night?  
 **Trevor:** Yeah bro, at least a few of the guys are  
 **Dana:** I'll be there! And bringing along a special guest  
 **Chloe:** i think we can swing by, nothing else planned  
 **Justin:** wat special guest?  
 **Max:** o hai guyz, we talkin about smokin that wacky tobaccy?  
 **Trevor:** hahahahaha  
 **Dana:** I'm bringing Juliet, Justin. Do you know if Aiden will be there?  
 **Justin:** prolly, he follows the green like the elf from lucky charms  
 **Chloe:** elf? justin man...  
 **Trevor:** let him have it  
 **Trevor:** so wait, thats a yes for max and chlo?  
 **Chloe:** oui oui!  
 **Max:** Yes, I would like to smoke of your dankest bud please.  
 **Dana:** rofl Max I am in tears

* * *

**Chloe:** fucking shoot me in the ears  
 **Max:** No, your ears are so cute.  
 **Chloe:** ive been listening to generic racist trucker #4 complain for like 15 mins  
 **Chloe:** millenials, mexicans, smartphones, its just too much man  
 **Max:** That's the unfortunate part of customer service :/  
 **Chloe:** im sorry what  
 **Chloe:** this motherfucker just dropped 'illuminati' like it wasnt a big deal  
 **Max:** Okay, well now I'm just interested.

* * *

**Max:** Courtney said you were acting weird this morning and now I can't find you  
 **Max:** I'm worried, please answer.  
 **Victoria:** Sorry, I'm here. Been packing/sleeping/moping.  
 **Max:** Not excited to head back to Seattle for break?  
 **Victoria:** I guess so but it's a little sad. I'm gonna miss you guys while I'm gone.  
 **Victoria:** You there?  
 **Max:** Yeah sorry, was just sending the screen cap of that to Chloe and Warren.  
 **Victoria:** Or maybe I won't

* * *

**Max:** Btw, Kate really wants us to visit her during the break.  
 **Chloe:** of course, i figured we probably were going to anyway?  
 **Max:** I mean at her house.  
 **Chloe:** where her family is?  
 **Max:** Yeah.  
 **Chloe:** that sounds fuckin hilarious im so in  
 **Chloe:** do you think theyll explode if i kiss u?  
 **Max:** That's a very real concern! I'm like actually nervous.  
 **Chloe:** ill be on my best behavior, pwomise

* * *

**Dad:** ARE YOU SEEING THIS  
 **Max:** I just checked it! This whole year has been crazy!  
 **Dad:** So proud of my Seahawks. We're gonna win it all!  
 **Max:** That would be WILD but they need to get through Denver or NE.  
 **Dad:** I raised you to have better faith than that, Maxine!  
 **Max:** Pop, you also raised me to scream "showtime, synergy!" every time I entered the room.  
 **Dad:** And I stand by that.

* * *

**Chloe:** so this is my life now just sharing six packs with david  
 **Max:** Still weird?  
 **Chloe:** very, but its a good weird  
 **Max:** I'm sure Joyce is thrilled.  
 **Chloe:** ohhhh she doesnt know. he even pulled a 'dont tell your mother'  
 **Max:** Wow! Just like a real dad!

* * *

**Kate:** I heard you playing again last night :)  
 **Max:** Ahhh that's so embarrassing :/ I hope I didn't keep you up.  
 **Kate:** No! In fact, it was pleasant to fall asleep to. You shouldn't be embarrassed.  
 **Kate:** Someday we will play together, I just know it.  
 **Max:** Maybe... I'm slowly getting better I think.  
 **Kate:** Good! I'm proud of you for keeping at it!

* * *

**Max:** YOU  
 **Chloe:** me!  
 **Max:** DID YOU TAKE HIM  
 **Chloe:** what? who?  
 **Max:** CAPTAIN BEARBEAR  
 **Chloe:** no why would i take your teddy bear?  
 **Max:** Because you're sick and would derive pleasure from something like that!  
 **Chloe:** ok u need to chill babe, im sure he's around  
...  
 **Max:**...sorry  
 **Chloe:** oh could you speak up?  
 **Max:** IM SORRY  
 **Chloe:** hahaha its okay  
 **Max:** I couldn't see him under your beanie.  
 **Max:** How'd you get him to hold the chocolate bar?  
 **Chloe:** took waaaay too long dude

* * *

**Max:** Oh man oh man  
 **Max:** I'm so sorry! I was trying to surprise you by washing the dishes and I dropped one of your glasses!  
 **Max:** I'm sorry! I'll get you a new one!  
 **Joyce:** Hon calm down, it's okay. We have too many dishes anyway.  
 **Joyce:** The gesture alone is worth so much to me. You're a real sweetheart.  
 **Max:** Kay :( thanks for being cool as always  
 **Joyce:** Don't you give me that sad face! I'm not mad or anything, I promise. I'll give you a hug later.  
 **Joyce:** And I love you!  
 **Max:** Love you too Joyce. You're the best.

* * *

**Max:** You need to have a talk with your son.  
 **Chloe:** wat whys he only my son when hes in trouble?  
 **Max:** Because you're the one with influence.  
 **Chloe:** fine what did he do  
 **Max:** He totally beaned me in the back of the head with a snowball!  
 **Chloe:** lol sick  
 **Max:** Is this how it's going to be if we ever actually have kids?  
 **Max:** Hello?  
 **Max:** It was a joke...I mean...mostly.  
 **Chloe:** sry i blacked out whats going on  
 **Max:** I...would you know? With you? That'd be amazing.  
 **Chloe:** yeah...somewhere down the line to have a little baby max running around  
 **Chloe:** wow what the fuck we are in love huh?  
 **Max:** Oh! I'm glad you're finally catching on!

* * *

**Max:** We're at the store now. Any snack requests for movie?  
 **Warren:** Get one of those Christmas tins of popcorn!  
 **Taylor:** Caaaaaaaaaan I get some skittles?  
 **Brooke:** Warren's popcorn is good enough for me.  
 **Courtney:** yeah me too!  
 **Kate:** I have a bunch of candy canes I can bring!  
 **Victoria:** Idc just surprise me.  
 **Max:** You're putting your faith in Chloe's hands just so you know.  
 **Victoria:** As long as she washed them first.

* * *

**Max:** WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS  
 **Chloe:** so there's this trick with the ABC's  
 **Max:** Har har, very funny. Didn't sound like I needed that trick last night.  
 **Chloe:** hahaha o shit, that was such a fast reply  
 **Max:** Babe, I'm being serious. Isn't there anything at all I could get for you?  
 **Chloe:** ok fine lemme think  
 **Chloe:** i want you to take 5 pictures and give em to me  
 **Max:** Pictures of what?  
 **Chloe:** anything  
 **Chloe:** i love when you explain your photos to me  
 **Chloe:** how u can make a fuckin bench seem like this incredible and beautiful thing  
 **Chloe:** idk i like being able to see things the way you always do  
 **Chloe:** makes me feel close to you. is that dumb?  
 **Max:** Wowsers, Chlo. No. It's not dumb. I'll get right on it.

* * *

**Warren:** Chloe left her jacket here, fyi  
 **Max:** Oh! Thanks, we'll get it in the morning.  
 **Max:** Aaaactually...did she leave anything else there?  
 **Warren:** I don't think so, but I'll look.  
 **Max:** K thanks  
 **Warren:** WHEN DID SHE TAKE OFF HER BRA?  
 **Max:** When you want to the bathroom :)  
 **Warren:** WHY  
 **Max:** Cuz bras suck, dude. Also my hands were cold so she warmed them up for me.  
 **Warren:** My couch isn't like...defiled, right?  
 **Max:** Oh get over yourself, ya drama queen.  
 **Max:** I febreezed it!

* * *

**Chloe:** i wanna snug you so bad it physically hurts  
 **Chloe:** this bed sucks  
 **Chloe:** these pillows suck  
 **Chloe:** i just want my maxy :(  
 **Max:** I was going to joke about how it's your fault for making me do homework but the emoji made it too real.  
 **Chloe:** im sorry, i dont know why im like this all the sudden  
 **Max:** Just a few more days and we can cuddle every single night  
 **Chloe:** promise?  
 **Max:** I promise baby. I'm here, okay? Call me if you need to.  
 **Chloe:** dokay. i love you so much


	34. Lovely, Dark And Deep

"This is too fuckin' Blair Witch for me," Chloe said quietly as the truck crept through the narrow trail in the woods. Along the path, little lawn lights were staked into the ground, giving off a soft glow that reflected on the snow. Joyce snorted a small laugh.

"Would you calm down?" She asked, moving her arm as much as she could to insinuate a playful nudge to Max, seated between them.

"Maybe. Have to see where we land on the whole 'possessed by forest witches' situation," Chloe snarked back, flicking her finger along the knob of the radio to raise the volume.

"This place has been here forever," Max said, straining her voice over the music. "Even I remember coming here. It's cool, like a little hiding spot."

"Uh huh, the perfect hiding spot for FOREST WITCHES!" Chloe shrieked, clawing Max's knee. She snickered when the brunette wasn't phased. "Fine, clearly I'm the only who takes these things seriously. Big, doofy lookin' bear in jeans says not to burn trees down, everyone listens. But me? Nah."

_The big bear in jeans has credentials, Chloe. He's like a fire marshal or something!_

Eventually the trail broke away into a clearing, a reasonably sized parking lot made up of gravel. White Christmas lights surrounded the area, highlighting the boundary between 'this is where you buy things' and 'that's just the woods.' The truck slowed into a space and the three women got out.

"David's going to be so surprised we got a tree all on our own!" Joyce smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Let's get that one," Chloe said, lazily aiming a finger at the first tree she saw.

"That's not how this works," Joyce said, drooping her head at her daughter. "We have to find the perfect tree."

"Yeah, babe, come on. Get your head in the game!" Max laughed, elbowing Chloe. The punk rolled her eyes, but smiled and wrapped an arm around the brunette.

"Okay, fine," she said. "Where to, Mother?"

"I'm..." Joyce began, narrowing her eyes at a small family talking to one of the employees. They were standing by a particularly impressive tree. "I'm going to snag us a helper so other people can't steal all the good ones! You guys split up, I'll find you." And with that, she shimmied away toward the small wooden stand where a few workers sat.

_That's such a mom walk._

"She's cute," Max said.

"Yeah, kinda neat to see her doing things with a pulse again," Chloe agreed. She made a small 'tsk' sound and pulled the zipper of Max's jacket up until it could go no further. "You need to stay warm," she reprimanded.

"And _you're_ cute," Max added, beaming at the blue haired girl. Chloe scrunched her nose and stuffed her hands in her front pockets.

"Hypothermia ain't cute," she grumbled. She briefly scanned her surroundings and popped her lips. "Kay, so I guess I'll look over on that side and you can look here?"

"Aye aye, Cap'n Price!" Max said, giving the girl a salute. She began to shuffle away but was stopped as Chloe placed a hand on her shoulder. A storm of chills rattled through her as the sensation pried the memory of the lighthouse from her deep in her mind. That moment just before she went back through the photo and Chloe touched her shoulder – an action that, unbeknownst to them, would have immeasurable and lovely consequences.

_What if she hadn't done that? Would we still be here like this?_

"I just...hey, wait. You cool?" Chloe asked, her eyes showing concern.

"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking," Max said.

"Don't do that," she teased. "Bad news. Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry if this like...boring or whatever."

"It's not boring!" Max pushed Chloe's shoulder. "This is so cool. We're doing real things together like a couple!" Chloe smiled warmly at that. "Besides," Max took a few hurried steps away from her then turned around, "this is like practice for when we get to do it for our own place!"

* * *

Max leaned in close to one of the trees and inhaled the scent, making an exaggerated 'ahh' sound to herself. Realizing this was the third time she had done this, she cracked a smile and put a hand to her forehead.

_Okay, weirdo. Stop trying to snort all the pine smell._

She ducked between a row of trees, looking side to side as she evaluated them. It had actually made sense to her before, but now she realized she had no idea what the 'perfect' tree actually meant. They all had needles and were green, so those seemed to be pretty good guidelines. As she inspected yet another tree, she once again thought of what kind of photos she'd take for Chloe's Christmas present. The thought had been on loop in the back of her head since Chloe first mentioned it, and she found herself increasingly nervous that she wouldn't find _one_ worthy photo, let alone five.

The logical side of her knew that it didn't matter – Chloe had specifically stated that they could be of literally anything. And she was honestly flattered at the idea. But still, she wanted them to be special because...well, Chloe was special. She puffed out her bottom lip as she pat her bag, feeling her camera nestled within.

_Come on, Max. Just let your intuition take over. That's when you get your best shots._

She walked further along the row of trees, holding out her hand to brush through the prickles as she moved. Something else had been bothering her...she wanted to actually _buy_ something for Chloe. But she didn't have an income and so her funds were limited. The idea that she would be using money given to her by her parents to buy something for the love of her life embarrassed her deeply. Nevermind that she had _no_ idea what she would actually get her.

_These are the kinds of problems normal people have. Hmm...might just be scarier than time travel._

Just then, she heard something rustle in the trees behind her. Then it happened again. Glancing to her left and right, she cautiously walked toward the sound. She slowly reached her hand out, but the branches swung open wildly as something exploded from between the trees.

"FOREST WITCH!" Chloe screamed, pouncing on top of Max and bringing them both to the ground. The powdery snow fluffed up around them as Max kicked her legs, reeling from the shock. Her vision was filled with the night sky, pinpricks of white shining through blackness. The image was blocked as Chloe's face loomed above her wearing a devious grin. "You'd be straight up dead, son," she said.

"Why though?" The brunette asked dryly.

_Or I'll just get her a shit ton of coal. That seems appropriate._

"I like when you're on your back?" Chloe replied, her shoulders twitching in a playful shrug. Max nodded as if expecting such an answer, then let her head fall back into the snow.

"Coulda just asked," she said quietly as a small smile peeked its way through her cheeks. The punk grunted and flopped down next to her.

"Cool, I'll remember that for next time." She looped her arm with Max's. "How goes the tree hunt?"

"It was going fine until I got hit with a sexy, blue wrecking ball." Max wriggled her hips until she was pressed closer to the girl.

"Well," she said, "I'm afraid your efforts have been for nothing. Mom found one she is completely enamored with. She told me to come find you."

_Oh thank god. This was a lot of pressure!_

"Did she also tell you to attack me?" Max asked, lifting her head up to regard Chloe.

"Nah, that was all me." She laughed and leaned up to kiss Max on the cheek. The brunette scoffed and turned her nose up.

"Your forest witch defense class is lacking in tact, I'm afraid."

"Whatever, it's a work in progress," Chloe giggled. "But speaking of, this place is pretty awesome. We should totally come camp out here when it gets warmer. We could bring the group, make it a thing. Tell spooky ghost stories!"

_That would be so fun! Roasting marshmallows, getting all cozy out in the wilderness._

"I've never been camping before," Max said. "That would be pretty exciting. It is pretty beautiful out here..."

"Yeah." Chloe let her head rest in the snow. "I keep thinking about that poem. You know, 'I'm Lost As Fuck in the Woods and It's Snowing Its Balls Off?'"

"I can't believe how wrong that is yet I know exactly which one you're talking about." Max laced their fingers together.

"It's a reasonable approximation," Chloe argued.

"As if," Max snorted. "It's called 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.'"

"See, I was _really_ close!" The punk said, laughing. "Okay, well, better get back to mom so we can stand around patiently as the guy ties the tree into the truck." She sat up quickly, using the momentum to get to her feet in one smooth motion. She grabbed Max's hand and pulled her up, then dusted the snow off her back. "Come on, Maximo." She hurried through the row of trees, stopping when she noticed Max hadn't followed her.

"Uh, give me one second," Max said. "I'll catch up to you, okay?" Chloe watched her curiously, then shrugged. She rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. Max turned her attention to the imprints in the snow. They were surprisingly clean, looking more like intentional snow angels (minus the wings) than thoughtless displaced snow. She shook her head with a small smile.

_Intuition, meet stupid fate._

Looking to her left to make sure Chloe could not see her, she dug her camera out of her bag. As she looked through the viewfinder, the poem Chloe had mentioned began to stream through her thoughts. It had always been one of her favorites. She focused on the shapes and inhaled steadily as she snapped the photo. The Polaroid spat out and she flicked it in the air in satisfaction. She looked back down the path, her eyes scanning over Chloe's footprints and smiled.

"The woods are indeed lovely, dark and deep," she whispered to herself.

* * *

"Just set it on the side of the house. We did the hard work, David can at least set it up," Joyce said as she strolled toward the front door.

" _We_ did the hard work?" Chloe asked, huffing as she struggled with the base of the tree. Max giggled as she cradled it higher up, taking another quick whiff of the pine smell.

"I bought it," Joyce zipped back with a smirk. "Anyway, I'm going to start on some hot chocolate for us. Nothing warms up the heart faster."

"I can think of some things..." Chloe said quietly, shooting a playful gaze at Max. The two girls lugged the tree to the side of the house, with Chloe muttering about the needles jabbing her hands. Though they tried to be careful, the tree ended up banging against the siding as it slipped from the punk's grasp.

"Nice," Max teased, dusting her hands off and wrinkling her nose as the sap on her palm provided some resistance. Chloe threw her a sarcastic thumbs up. Max's eyes trailed upward, along the siding until they focused on a small, silver plate near the gutter. It was hard to make out in the darkness, but she thought she could see empty slots where screws would usually fit. She knew immediately what it was. "So...do you know if David removed all the cameras?" Max asked, taking tiny steps into Chloe's arms.

"He did," Chloe said. "He didn't say anything to me about it, but I saw them all in the trash can one day when I dragged it to the curb." She 'hmm'd.' "I mean, I'm happy that he got rid of them, but that was a fuck ton of money he just threw out."

"Maybe throwing them out was symbolic to him," Max suggested. "I think that's worth more than money."

_Like I wanted to tear up that photo by the lighthouse._

"True, true." Chloe ran her fingers through the brunette's hair. Max thought for a moment as she relished the feeling.

"Do you know if he told Joyce about them?" She asked.

"Honestly...I have no idea. If he did, I never caught wind of it. Maybe he told her when I was on zombie mode? I hope they didn't fight..." She shrugged. "And if he didn't, I can't really say I blame him, you know? He probably feels ashamed. I wouldn't mind my mom never finding out about them."

"How mature of you," Max said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.

"That's me! Mature Chloe, bane of four months ago Chloe's existence!" She tightened her hand into a fist. "She'd fight me, but I'd kick her ass. I know all her best moves." She stared down at Max with a goofy grin.

"I think _I_ know all your best moves," Max purred, leaning on her tiptoes to brush her nose along Chloe's jaw. The punk's eyes widened, caught off guard by her smoothness.

"Oh," Chloe said, her face falling back to her usual, sarcastic expression as she shook her head. "Not yet, you don't."

* * *

"This is so much better," Max said, happily cradling the mug of hot chocolate with both hands. "My mom always uses water instead of milk."

"Yeah, she did do that, didn't she?" Chloe asked, reminiscing of younger days. "That's kinda gross." Joyce joined them at the table, setting down a tray of cookies in the middle. She let out a tired sigh and looked around the room.

"I haven't decided on where to put the tree yet," she said, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "What do you girls think?"

"Right in the middle," Chloe said, holding her hand like a gun and pointing to the center of the room. Her mother rolled her eyes.

"You could put it against one of those bookshelves so long as you're okay with blocking them," Max suggested. Joyce thought it over and nodded.

"That sounds like the way to go," she agreed. "Those bookshelves are just for show these days, anyway. I can't remember the last time I got invested in a good book."

"That's one of my mom's things," Max said, reaching for a cookie. Chloe quickly jolted her hand under Max's and took the one she had her eye on, sticking her tongue out triumphantly when the girl scowled.

"Oh, I know," Joyce said. "Vanessa and I used to read the same books and then we'd compare notes. It seemed like she was always reading three for every one I did."

"In fairness," Max mumbled as she chewed her cookie, "she has like no filter when it comes to reading. Doesn't matter how good the book actually is or what genre. If there's words on a page, she's on board."

_Seriously, she should get higher standards._

"Remember when we found that one erotica book of your mom's?" Chloe asked with a snicker. "And we stole it and read it out loud to each other."

"Oh Dog, how could I forget 'Steven Stevens and the Frisky Lawyer?'" Max laughed. "Even back then I knew it was _bad_."

"Hey, I liked that one!" Joyce laughed. "William always used to make fun of me for reading those, even after I caught him reading one himself." Chloe perked up with big eyes.

"No way!" She smacked her palms lightly on the table. "That's hilarious. Dad was such a goof."

"That's certainly one word for him," Joyce chuckled. Chloe nodded as she cheerfully chomped into another cookie, narrowing her eyes at the mug of hot chocolate. As she chewed, she dipped the half-eaten cookie into the mug and grew a sleazy smile – surely proud of her own brilliance. Joyce smiled somberly at her. "He would be proud of you, you know?" Chloe's jaw ceased its movement as the words hit her.

"I don't...I don't know if he would," she said quietly, her eyes falling downward. Max watched on quietly as she ate. She knew now there were some things that didn't need her immediate involvement.

_He would, Chlo. He'd be over the moon with how you've turned out._

"He would," Joyce said, transmitting Max's thoughts. "I know for a fact. Hell, he'd even love your look. The hair, the tattoo, all of it. Because it's _you_."

"I think he'd be disappointed about school..." Chloe mumbled as she slowly tapped her index finger on the table. "Been thinking about that a lot. He always talked about me getting straight A's and having my pick of any college I want. That was one of his things, you know?"

"Being understanding was also one of his _things_ ," her mother said. "He was the biggest supporter of shrugging and saying 'oh well, things happen.' Even if the thing that happened was him breaking a cherished family vase." She squinted and shook her head with a scoff. "That oaf." She turned her attention to Max. "What about you, Max? Have you thought about school next year?" Max could see out of the corner of her eye Chloe slumped even more, surely not excited about facing that obstacle as a couple.

"Uh, yes, actually," Max said. "I've thought it over and talked with my parents and I think I'm going to take a gap year." In truth, she had been undecided until this very moment, but seeing Chloe shoot up in her seat made her feel very comfortable with her choice.

"You didn't tell me that," the punk said, looking at Max with owl eyes.

"I only recently decided," she said, chuckling at just how true it was. She felt Chloe's foot against her leg, excitedly shaking against it. Joyce held her hands out and nodded.

"Not a bad decision these days," she said. "School is expensive. And I've always sort of disliked how people are rushed into college straight out of high school."

"Uh huh," Max agreed. "And it'll give me some time to figure out my portfolio and decide what school is best for me. Plus, I could honestly just use the break. I don't think I mix with school very well." She giggled. "It wears me out!"

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Joyce said, finally reaching for a cookie of her own. "Do you have an idea about what you'll do on your year off? Where you'll be staying?" Her tone took a noticeable if slight shift, something that sounded very parental. Max smiled at her, baring her teeth adorably as she caught on.

_She's worried about how Chloe plays into all this. That's...so sweet. And...kind of intimidating. Oh, jeez._

"I'm playing it by ear," Max laughed quietly, and maybe a bit nervously. She turned to Chloe, who was still in a bit of a daze imagining her future with Max. "Any ideas?" She quickly glanced back at Joyce, who grew a small smile.

_I guess that was a good enough answer._

"I have so many!" Chloe shouted, clasping her hands to her head as a sign of being overwhelmed. "So many possibilities!"

"The point being, we'll do it together," Max said, turning back to Joyce. The woman nodded knowingly. Then she leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms out.

"I can't tell you how nice it is to spend time with you girls like this," she said. Chloe rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Oh please, Mother."

"I'm serious! I like being able to talk to my daughter without it turning into a fight." She shrugged. "And I admit, it's nice to just have people to talk to. The people at the Two Whales are wonderful... _mostly_ , but the conversations never reach particularly hidden depths." She held out a hand in explanation. "And the other waitresses don't offer a lot in terms of girl talk. I miss that."

"That's like, six thousand percent of my life," Max replied, chuckling into her hot chocolate.

_I should hook her up with Dana if she's looking for a constant stream of gossip._

"It's funny..." Joyce began, cupping her face with a hint of embarrassment. "When you girls were younger, back before everything happened, I always imagined having those 'cool mom' relationship talks. A shoulder to cry on when you realized how dumb boys could be..." Max and Chloe glanced at each other, a mutual acknowledgment that they did kind of ruin those plans for Joyce. There was only the slightest note of awkwardness in the room, before Max leaned across the table and grasped Joyce's hand.

"If you want," she said, "I can tell you all about how dumb Chloe can be."

"Guilty," the punk said coolly, raising her hand. Joyce giggled, reaching her other hand out for her daughter's. Max and Chloe also joined hands, completing the circle.

"I love you girls so much," Joyce said. "And even if it is awkward, I want you both to know that I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to about anything." Max sighed happily, yet again shuffling her admiration for Joyce another tier higher.

"Love you too, Joyce," she said. There was a pause of quiet where normal people would expect Chloe to offer her own 'I love you.' Instead, Max turned to see the girl bent over with her chin on the table, desperately struggling to coerce a cookie into her mouth with only her lips. When she noticed the two staring at her, she snorted and grew a big smile around the cookie.

"Love you too, Mom," Chloe muffled. At least, Max was pretty sure that's what she had said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just a small, comfy chapter this time. I realized I hadn't been giving Joyce a lot of screen time so I wanted to try and fix that a bit!
> 
> So, this will be the last update for a little while - as mentioned before, I'm aiming for around a month but I'm gonna give myself a little wiggle room. Hopefully when I come back, there will be some extra 'pizazz' in my writing! (Who let that word exist? Is it a typo of pizza?)
> 
> Oh yeah! So, we're all aware that I put waaaaay too many pop culture references in this story, but I've gotten enough messages about the various music mentioned that I figured I'd make a reference list for those who wanted to check some of it out. Most of it is stuff that Max or Chloe would feasibly listen to...I think, anyway. I might add that to my profile page (both FF and AO3) sometime while I'm on break, but I'll update you guys for sure when the next chapter comes out.
> 
> Thank you again for continuing to read and review (also: hello to my /lisg/ readers - someone wanted proof it was me!) I love you all and you look wonderful this (insert time of day you're reading this.) See you soon!


	35. Sleepless Until Seattle

Max stared longingly through the window, her cheeks puffed out in absentmindedness. From the second story, she looked down on the few people mingling outside. She could see Alyssa and Stella talking by the fountain. Justin, Trevor and the rest of the skater boys (whom she was slowly getting to know – Sam, Aaron and Ben among others) stood in a circle further off near the gym, clutching their skateboards despite the brand new layer of snow. A few other students trotted back and forth across the campus, but she didn't recognize any of them by name. She exhaled through her nose slowly.

_Man, freedom looks so cold and fun..._

She sat in her last class before the winter break and, as ridiculous as it sounded to her, time was moving far too slow. She had gone from being apathetic toward school, feeling like it didn't matter in the wake of all she had experienced, back to feeling the banal distaste most people had for it. In a way, she liked it much better, but that didn't stop every word her teacher was saying from sounding like an adult from Peanuts.

_Wah wah, wah, waaaah. Translation: This is your prison for all of eternity and you will never be able to escape. Say goodbye to Chloe kisses. Say goodbye to food. Au revoir to all joy and light in the world, for you shall forever be stuck trying to figure out why Pythagoras wanted all future generations of teenagers to suffer endlessly. Say goodbye to-_

The bell rang, striking through her listless thoughts as she jolted in her seat. Sucking in a huge gulp of excited breath, she quickly smacked her palms against the table several times before putting her books into her bag. She sprung up from her seat and joined the small stampede funneling out of the classroom.

_Break! A whole month of no school! Oh my gosh, now Chloe has no excuse to leave me at night! I don't think I've ever been more excited!_

She bounded down the flight of steps, her head swimming with all the lazy possibilities of waking up next to Chloe. As she burst through the double doors to the main hallway, she caught sight of Warren fiddling with his phone by his locker. Filled with glee, she took off toward him with her arms out, set on celebrating the start of her vacation. When she was just close enough to hug, the tip of her shoe skipped on the tile, sending her careening into him. The collision put the unaware boy face first into the locker, shooting a loud bang through the hallway. Max managed to keep upright only by bouncing off of him.

"Fuck! Oh my god!" She grabbed his jaw and forcefully yanked it toward her, bringing the rest of the boy with it. "I'm sorry! I tripped! Are you okay!?"

"Do I still have a face?" He asked through his wincing expression.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I was excited because of classes being over and I tried to run but I'm bad at running!" He snickered and brought a hand to his nose.

"It's alright," he assured. He stared at her, his eyes falling half-lidded until he covered his face as he sneezed. "Ugh, does that happen to you? When you hit your nose really hard?" Max nodded sheepishly. "Max, it's okay!" He laughed and put a hand on her shoulder. "It was impressive if anything. You should try out for the Bigfoots! I'm surprised I don't have a nosebleed."

"Staaaahp," she groaned, covering her face with her forearms in embarrassment. Warren chuckled as he shook his head.

"Max Caulfield, All-State linebacker," he teased. She whined again as he pulled her arms down. "Oh, relax. I'm fine. Seriously. No nosebleed, see?" He pointed to his nose, then made a 'hm' noise. "Speaking of, uh, how are... _you_ doing in that department?"

_Oh. How to explain this..._

"Um..." Max settled next to him against the locker. "Had a few developments. Things are looking up. I don't feel bad anymore. I really think it might have been like, purely psychological. As far as that makes sense, anyway."

"That's awesome!" He shot a big smile at her. "What happened? What developments?"

"Chloe..." she narrowed her eyes as she searched for words, "helped."

"Well I mean, yeah, I figured as much. You two are basically each others' medicine. But what happened? Did you have any other..." His face contorted in uneasiness. "Nightmares?"

"No...I didn't," she said, staring at the floor with a brilliant smile. She turned back to him, showing it off. "We just worked it out," she added with a shrug. He looked at her confusedly before his eyes momentarily bulged.

"Oh! _Oh._ You think you were cured by, uh... _that_?" He asked, growing a touch pink in the cheeks. She shrugged again, this time more exaggeratedly as she raised her arms higher. "Damn, that's...impressive? Is that the right word?"

"It's certainly an accurate one," she replied with a wink, nudging him in his ribs. He shook his head as he pulled on his jacket. "Oh! Are you done too?"

"You know it. I totally made those tests my bitch!" He grinned at her, looping his arm through the strap of his backpack. She perked an eyebrow in amusement. "What? Is that...is that not a cool thing to say?"

"It's more the idea of you making _anything_ your bitch," Max quipped back, taking a few steps down the hall. Warren's shoulders deflated as he sighed.

"But I did really well..." He grumbled as he followed her.

* * *

"So I still need three photos," Max said, catching Warren up on her Christmas plans. "I know I could just pick some I already have, but I want them to be like I took them _for_ her, you know?"

"Definitely makes sense to me," Warren said. He had his foot up on the rim of the fountain as he tied his shoe. He seemed to be struggling with the laces because of his gloves, which forced Max to hide a giggle. She looked around them, seeing only a few students willing to be out in the cold. The skater boys made up most of that demographic, though they still seemed to be figuring out the skating in snow thing. "You want them to be as special as possible," Warren said as he stood up straight.

"Right, exactly." The two began to walk toward the dorm. "Plus, I don't know. I want to get her some other stuff but all of my money was given to me by my parents. That seems lame, right?"

"Max, you're in high school and don't have a job. I think most people here are probably in the same situation," he said. "We're all attached to our parents' bank account. Besides, I doubt Chloe would care so long as her precious little baby picked it out for her." He braced his shoulder against the whack from Max's hand. "Do you know anything that she wants?"

"Ugh, no. She told me 'nothing, I'm fine' _forever_ until she finally came up with the photo thing." Max waved her hands around in frustration. "Why am I drawing a total blank on this?"

"Oh come on," Warren said. "It can't be..." He was interrupted by a quiet jingle drifting up from his pocket. "It can't be that hard, right?" He asked, fishing out his 3DS. He chuckled and switched to the other side of his pants. "Wrong pocket. I do that way more than I'm comfortable admitting." He read the new text on his phone and snickered before turning his attention back to the brunette. "I'm sure there's something she wants and she's just playing coy." She stared at him with wide eyes.

"Dude..." She slowly lifted her hand with an index finger pointed at the device in his other hand. "How pricey are those things?" Somewhat surprised, he held it up and looked it over.

"Ah, I don't know. Like a couple hundred? Plus, you have games and all that..." Max just smiled and nodded.

"That's perfect!" She squealed. "She's always messing with yours! If I got one used, I could get her a ton of stuff. She'll absolutely shit herself, oh man! Can you take me into town tomorrow to get one?" She began to hop in place excitedly.

_Hahaha YES. In your face, Chloe Price. I will Christmas the hell out of you._

"Eh, sure, why not," he laughed. "I guess I can spare some taxi time." They reached the dorms and ducked inside, cherishing the wave of warmth. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Way harder than it needed to be," she snirked. "Thanks for the 'eureka!' moment." She leaned against the wall and sighed. "Well, it's something at least. What are you up to? Want to hang out and watch a movie?"

"Yeah, I've got some time before Brooke wants to chill," he said. Max grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. "Not like that, you perv. Some of us," he turned his nose up at her dramatically as he held a hand over his heart, "aren't deviants."

_Deviants!?_

"Uh huh, _sure_ ," she shot back condescendingly as she began climbing the steps. "You guys going to be at the," she threw a hand in the air and wiggled her fingers, "illustrious Victoria Chase sleepover tonight?" She could hear Warren grunt behind her.

"I think Brooke is still a little sketched out about the whole Victoria being nice thing," he said.

"It is a little weird still," she admitted. "So she's out, but you'll be there, right!?" She spun around as she reached the door to her hallway. He furrowed his brow and held his hands out as if she should know the answer already.

"Yes. I'll be the _only_ guy at the sleepover my girlfriend doesn't want to attend."

"Huh...I forget that you're the only guy in our weird little group," she responded with a playful elbow, pulling the door open.

"Brooke doesn't," he added as he slid past her.

_That sounded a little bitter. Ouch._

"It's a little cute how protective she is of you though, like..." Max's words were trampled over by an ecstasy filled laugh coming from Dana's room, followed by a lustful pronunciation of Trevor's name. She turned to Warren with a big smile and pointed over her shoulder at the door with her thumb. "Heh, check it."

"Whaaat the fuck," Warren groaned in a hushed tone. "Do I go to school with rabbits? Are you all rabbits?" He grew dark red in his cheeks as he grabbed Max's wrist and hurried her down the hall.

"Chloe would look really cute with those fake rabbit ears," she cackled as they entered her room.

* * *

Warren hadn't been gone for more than five minutes before there was knock on Max's door. Anticipating who would be on the other side, she grinned and opened it.

_It's officially Chloe time!_

"Babe, I'm finally d-" She released an 'oof' as Chloe swept her up in a tight hug and began spinning around.

"You're mine, you're mine, you're mine, you're mine!" She repeated, laughing as they spun. Her momentum took them into the side of the bed, causing them to spill onto the mattress.

"I'm going to throw up," Max said quietly, clasping both hands over her stomach as she readjusted to a still room.

"No time for that," Chloe purred, removing one boot and sloughing off her jacket in one smooth motion. She tossed it behind her at the door, forcing it closed. "I get one month of all the Max I can possibly handle, starting now."

"Right now?" Max giggled. "Don't you want to hear about my last day? I got my tests back and everything." Despite her words, she was already helping Chloe undress. "Besides, you need to pace yourself. Lest you overdose."

"Babe. Babe. Max. Look at me," Chloe commanded, towering over the smaller girl as she knelt on the bed. She was ravenously working at the button of her jeans. "Fuck all of that as hard as you _possibly_ can. I can multitask! You can tell me all about how you rocked your tests while you rock me." The button finally came undone, revealing the top of Chloe's underwear.

"I cannot get over how big of a dork you are," Max laughed, rolling on to her side. She looped a finger into the punk's open jeans and tugged toward her, peeking down inside. "Ohhh, I like your red ones."

"I know you do!" Chloe flailed her hands. She began to laugh as she fell onto her butt. "Okay, libido aside, you have no idea how fucking excited I am to have you all the time. I'm taking you to work with me and everything."

"Do I get paid for that?" Max asked.

"You get paid in free food and longing glances from across the diner, yeah!" Chloe laughed. She reached forward and tugged her other boot off. "All the bacon and sappy blue eyes you want."

"That's a tempting offer. What's the exchange rate on those for real money?"

"Er, the economy hasn't really picked up on the idea just yet, but you wait and see!" Chloe's laugh mellowed into a thoughtful chuckle as she stared at the brunette. "Hey," she said quietly, "come here." Max climbed toward her, throwing all of her weight onto the girl as she snaked her arms around the punk's neck.

"Here," she said lightly, before bringing their lips together. The next several minutes blurred into combustion of sweet, sloppy kisses before Max finally pulled away.

"So..." Chloe began, smiling stupidly at the ceiling with throbbing lips, "how did those tests go?"

"All B's with one stupid C," Max replied, reaching behind her to turn the stereo on.

"That's awesome! I'm so proud of you!" Chloe swung her legs around the brunette and closed them in a vice. "My girl is so smart," she said in a singsong voice.

"Pfft, as if. I studied my ass off and couldn't get an A on even one. I'm cursed to mediocrity forever." She felt beside her for Chloe's feet and began to absentmindedly rub them. "I'm the Mendoza Line for academics."

"Stop being mean to my girlfriend!" The blue haired girl growled, twisting her hips so that Max was jostled left and right. "I think you're doing awesome, especially considering...yanno, fucking _everything_ that happened this semester!"

"I guess that's a fair point," she conceded. "At least I'm done for the time being. Now it is chill time."

"Sleepover time, more like," Chloe added with an amused look. "I can't remember the last time someone conducted an organized 'sleepover.' Usually, it's 'whoops I accidentally crashed while on your property.'"

"Oh shut up, it's kind of cute!" Max giggled. "We have friends and stuff, it's crazy! Plus, I'm going to miss Vic while she's away." She recoiled and shook her head. "If you told me I'd say that when I started here..."

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna miss her too," Chloe said, releasing her grip on Max. She rolled to the side and got out of bed. "Though I'm a little jealous she's going to Seattle. I want to go!" She sighed thoughtfully. "What time are we supposed to all get together?" Just as she asked, her jeans slipped from around her waist and fell to the carpet. She looked down and huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"I..." Max began, her eyes sweeping up and down Chloe's figure, "don't know, but it better not be for the next hour or so."

* * *

"Any second now, I just know it," Victoria said. She stood hunched over, hands planted on her desk as she stared a hole through her laptop. "Any fucking second."

"I thought they said sometime over the holiday?" Taylor asked. She scrolled through her phone, sprawled across both Max and Chloe's laps as they sat on the couch.

_You comfy there, Taylor?_

"That is what they said. She's just being impatient," Max giggled. Chloe took a sip from her water bottle and made eye contact with Max as she nodded at Taylor. When Max nodded back, the punk touched the ice cold bottle to the girl's exposed ankle in her lap, causing her to shriek.

"Oh my god, why!?" Taylor gasped as she joined in laughing with the two girls. Victoria whipped around from the laptop.

"It technically _is_ the holiday now, thanks," she glared. Her snobby expression softened as she laughed at Taylor. "Why are you hanging all over them? Trying to get into a threesome?"

"Sure, I'm not busy," she responded, not looking up from her phone.

"Hate to break it to you, Tay, but Max and I are exclusive," Chloe teased. The girl faked a somber sigh in response. Max chuckled as she looked around the room, her eyes falling on the stuffed suitcase snuggled against the wall.

"What time is your flight, by the way?" Max asked Victoria. The girl huffed and glanced over her shoulder.

"Tomorrow at four," she said. "Right in the middle of the fucking day. But at least it means staying up too late tonight won't fuck me up." Just as she said that, the door flung open and Courtney entered carrying several black plastic bags. "That, on the other hand..." Victoria said, eying the bags.

_Woah, she's armed to the teeth._

"I bring goodies and some baddies," Courtney laughed. She waved her hips to the left and right, then bowed. "You're all so very welcome."

"What kind of goodies?" Chloe asked, sitting up as straight as she could.

"Oh, I got some snacks, some drinks. I brought music," she began to gyrate in a showy way, "I brought games. I brought it all, baby. Even some _other_ drinks." She winked and plopped one bag between Taylor's legs, which doubled as Chloe's lap.

"Only if _she's_ cool with it," Victoria said, her tone commanding. "Kate, I mean." Chloe rummaged through the bag and removed a handle of tequila, turning to Max and mouthing 'what the fuck' with a smile.

_Aw, Vic. You're such a mushball. And...wowsers, that's a big bottle._

"Of course only if it's cool with Kate," Courtney snipped back. "I just wanted to have all my bases covered."

"You making up for the not being able to set up the End of the World Party?" Taylor asked with a smirk, finally looking up from her phone. Courtney thought for a moment, then shrugged with a nod.

"Max, have you ever had like, hard liquor?" Chloe asked her, jostling the bottle of tequila.

"Does the Fireball when you gave me a lap dance count?" She shot back victoriously. Taylor's phone slipped from her hands as she angled her head up to stare at Max.

"Yo, what?" She asked with wide eyes.

"That does count a little bit," Chloe responded with a playful smile, ignoring Taylor's question.

"Well, now you guys know what they're doing if they both disappear at some point," Victoria mocked, crossing her arms smugly. Chloe faced her and nodded enthusiastically.

"You bet your ass, Chase," Chloe smiled sleazily. "Know what I call Max's room? The Petting Zoo."

_Oh my god, Chloe. You ARE the billboard._

"Because I'm all _about_ dat heavy petting," the punk continued as the the door opened once more, revealing a flustered Kate. "Animals! Of animals! Petting animals!" Chloe added in absolute horror, her eyes screaming with regret.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Kate said. She had a rectangle in her arms that was covered in wrapping paper. "I was having trouble with something. How are you? We're talking about animals?" She asked, setting the present down next to Victoria's suitcase.

"We might as well be," Victoria said, glaring at the blue haired girl. She took on a nervous look and cleared her throat. "Um, Kate... We were wondering if you'd be cool with us drinking just a little? No one's going to get smashed or anything, but there's some wine and...other stuff." Kate seemed to shrink a little as she felt all eyes on her.

"Oh, of...of course that's cool with me!" She said, returning Victoria's nervousness. "Is it, uh, okay if I have a little bit of wine?" Chloe immediately whipped toward Max with a concerned look. Max did her best to shrug as subtly as possible before wriggling her phone out of her pocket.

"Sure, Kate, if you want some," Victoria replied as Max tapped on her phone.

_I knew this secret text club would come in handy..._

**Max:** Kate, are you SURE you're cool with this? We don't have to do any drinking if you don't want.

She sent the text and sighed, then immediately heard two simultaneous beeps coming from Chloe and Kate's phone. She closed her eyes, internally facepalming.

_Of course both of their volume is on. That's not suspicious like, at all, Max._

Kate, unaware as always, fished her phone out of her pocket and read the text. Her brow crinkled for a moment, then she laughed as she faced Max.

"Yes, Max. I promise I'm okay with it. I've done a lot of work at the doctor's and I think a little bit of wine would be good for me in overcoming some fears. I promise if I start to feel bad, I'll let everyone know." She looked around her. "Is that...okay?" Victoria nodded at her, then headed off to the corner of her room.

"You think you're a sneaky ninja," Courtney laughed, pointing at Max. The brunette scrunched her nose, admitting her poor planning.

"I'm protective of my Kate," she said, crossing her arms.

"No, _my_ Kate," Chloe argued.

"I'm all of your Kate!" The little blonde laughed. "Friendship isn't a nonrenewable resource, last I checked."

"Uh, yeah," Victoria muttered as she came back to Kate with a glass in her hand. "I thought maybe you'd like the first glass." Victoria took the bottle of wine out of the bag and seemed to make a show out of opening it in front of the girl, holding it close as the seal broke with the twisting of the cap.

_So...she knows there's nothing wrong with it... Oh, Victoria..._

"And thus," Victoria declared as the dark red liquid spilled into the glass, "the night has officially begun."

* * *

"Man, pajamas are sneaky little fuckers," Chloe said as she entered Victoria's room with a blushing Max behind her. "I can't believe it took us a half hour to find them."

_To find them, put them on, take them off... Put them on then take them off AGAIN._

"I was going to check and see if you guys were okay but..." Kate raised her hand until it jerked to a stop, the silk ribbon wrapped around it growing taut. "They tied me to the bed frame." She shrugged with a small smile and sipped out of her glass. Chloe chuckled and headed over immediately to untie it.

"Very cool of you, guys," Max said dryly as she eased herself onto the floor next to Taylor. "Did you finally pick out a movie while we were gone or were you just harassing Kate the whole time?"

"We had plenty of time for both, trust me," Victoria snarked over her shoulder. She tapped a few buttons on the TV and fell onto her butt. She spun around and dragged herself closer to the other girls with her feet in pedaling motion. "Rock, paper, scissors declares that we're watching Lost in Translation first."

"Typical," Chloe muttered, then grinned when Max shot her a look. She roughly tousled the girl's hair. "Sorry, I had to."

"Wish Warren was here," Courtney mumbled from the couch. "We'd have a lot more movies to pick from." Taylor squawked a 'ha!' and tilted her head back to see Courtney.

"You are actually the most transparent person ever," she said.

_Ah, good call, Brooke._

"Shut up, I'm just saying the boy knows his movies!" She fought back. Victoria shook her head with a smirk before standing up.

"Well, I've seen this movie a million times. I'm going to go out for a quick smoke. Anyone want to join me?" She swept across the room and grabbed her cigarettes.

"Actually, yeah, I'll come," Chloe said, hopping to her feet. She bent down over Max. "Catch me up on everything when I get back. I need to know about all the whacky language misunderstandings."

"Aye aye," Max replied, hopping up enough for their lips to barely make contact.

* * *

"You smoke those cheap things?" Victoria sneered with a hand on her hip. Chloe looked at the cigarette between her fingers and scowled.

"I like them," she replied with a small pout. "I mean, they all kill us, what makes yours so much better?"

"Oh honey," Victoria said condescendingly, holding out one of her own for Chloe to try. "Trust me." The punk rolled her eyes and took it, setting it between her lips as she stuffed hers back into its pack.

"Bumming a cig from the popular bitch. I'm slipping, man." She smiled wickedly at the blonde. "Don't you vape, too? Why are you flip flopping?"

"I don't know..." She leaned against the brick of the building. "It's trendy?"

"That was surprisingly honest," Chloe chuckled, sparking her lighter and lighting the cigarette. She took a slow puff and coughed. "Christ, man. Fucking menthol."

"You're just uncultured," Victoria snipped back. "They're good."

"Yeah, yeah..." Chloe took her spot next to Victoria. She thought for a moment, unable to fight the smile building in her cheeks. "So," she said, turning toward the girl, "did you get Kate somethin' nice for Christmas?"

"Excuse me?" She responded.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Vicky. Worst kept secret ever." The punk held her hand up. "And I think it's awesome! I'm just teasing you. You two would be hella cute together, seriously." Victoria stared at her, looking furious despite the visible blush. She began to speak several times, but cut herself off.

"Yes, I got her something," she finally said. Chloe nodded impishly. It was quiet for a moment as the smoke grew around them, before Chloe sighed and stepped away from the wall, turning back to face the other girl.

"Okay, look. I'm really new at this peptalk shit, so cut me some slack, but..." She quickly took another drag to keep herself jazzed. "I know everything with you and Kate is complicated. Back to what happened with Nathan and _fucking_ Jefferson," her tone picked up a growl over his name, "to her whole religious thing. It's kind of a clusterfuck. But I think you're doing great. And I know how just...fucking maddening it can be to have feelings for someone and be unsure of the outcome. So if you ever need to talk, I'm here." She took another drag and angled her head away as she exhaled. "Cool?"

"I, uh..." Victoria watched on dumbfounded before shrinking a little and nodding. "Cool," she said.

"But," Chloe held out the almost spent cigarette on display as she winked, "you can keep your shitty menthols."

* * *

"Just one, c'moooon," Courtney pleaded, holding the shot glass out to Max. "Celebration! Celebration!" The brunette looked at the other girls in the circle, all but Kate holding a similar glass.

"I...I don't know..." Max said, throwing a quick glance at Kate. Her uneasiness seemed misplaced as the girl watched her with excited eyes. And _then_ even she joined in on the peer pressure.

"Do it, Max! I believe in you!" She giggled into her hand. Max's eyes went wide as she shot the girl a betrayed look.

_Holy shit, Judas, chill._

"Wow, really!?" She laughed. "I guess if Kate Marsh tells you to drink, you better do it." She took the glass from Courtney and stared down into it. "It probably tastes fine, right?"

"No, it tastes like shit," Chloe snickered as she wrapped an arm around Max. "Let's do it!"

"Can...can I do the little message?" Kate asked, holding her wine glass in the circle with everyone else.

"Of course, Katie," Victoria said.

_Wait...Katie?_

"Thank you," said the girl. "I just wanted to say that even though this school year started terribly, it has given me a lot in return to be thankful for. I have so many wonderful friends now and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I'm going to miss you all over the holiday but I hope you'll at least keep in touch with text messages!" She closed her eyes as she smiled. "Was that okay?"

"Perfect," Victoria said, sniffling away a small amount of emotion. She moved her glass forward, followed by everyone else until multiple clinks could be heard. All together, they shot back the liquor with varying degrees of disgust on their face while Kate giddily watched.

"Ah, that familiar burn..." Chloe rasped with narrowed eyes. She quirked an eyebrow at Max, who was holding a suspiciously neutral expression. "You okay, babe?" Quickly, Max reached beside her and clawed into Chloe's arm.

"That was awful," she squeaked, blinking away the tears in her eyes.

_People do this for FUN!? Why didn't this one taste like cinnamon?!_

"You get used to it," Taylor laughed, plucking the glass from Max's hand.

And she was right – the third one was much easier than the first two.

The sleepover continued for several more hours, with a rotation of movies, snacks, gossip, games and tipsy dancing. Eventually, Max had passed out in a pile on the floor that consisted of blankets, pillows, Chloe and Courtney while Taylor slept face down on the couch. At some point during the night, Max was stirred awake. She lifted her head slowly, trying to find the source of the noise that had awakened her. On the bed, she saw Victoria and Kate sitting very, very close. Victoria was holding a framed picture with wrapping paper in a pile on the floor below her feet. Kate seemed to be looking on shyly, her thumb nervously twitching against her hand.

"Do you like it?" She whispered.

"Kate, I love it. I...I love...uh," Victoria sputtered out a self-mocking chuckle. "It's beautiful. Like the artist, right?" She ignored Kate's flustered reaction as she retrieved a small, wrapped box of her own. "I got you something too. I hope you like it, there's kind of a whole thing behind it I can explain..." She handed the box to her. She looked back at the picture in her hands and released the most genuine Victoria-smile Max had ever seen. Kate began to unwrap the box, but Max's eyelids became heavy. As sleep took her once again, she couldn't help but smile.

_I REALLY hope I remember this in the morning..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: By my count, that's one month on the button! Hope people are still here! ...hello? 
> 
> Coming back with a laid back chapter - the kids hanging out with just a pinch of Chloe POV. Only because the idea of her and Victoria having a one on one seemed fun. Can't wait to revisit that in the future. 
> 
> Here on AO3, you might not be able to immediately tell that I have a brand new, AMAZING cover for the story! All the credit for that goes to the incredible MaiQueti. I'm still so blown away by it every time I see it. You can find her on DeviantArt (http://maiqueti.deviantart.com/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/maiquetidesign) Go check it out, it's all amazing!
> 
> Other than that, I hope everyone's been doing well and I'm excited to get back to regular posting! Thank you all for reading and being awesome people. XOXOXOXO


	36. Hot Dad On Dad(vid) Action

"Hey wait," Max said, gripping the sleeve of Chloe's jacket to stop her from continuing. "Can you guess who I am?" She brought two fingers to her lips and inhaled, closing her eyes as if the gesture gave her pleasure. Then, she lowered her hand and blew out a gust of breath, the frigid air making it appear as smoke.

"Gee," Chloe said dryly as she rolled her eyes, "I wonder."

"No, hold on! I'm not done!" Max flailed her hand before reassuming her pose, repeating the same motion as before, trying her best to seem disinterested. "Fuckin'. Hella," she said as she exhaled again. The punk gave a quick nod of acknowledgment before looking around her.

"Well, hope that was worth it. Pretty sure this ain't the best place to be using words like that. You're going to go to hell now, Max." She snorted as she turned and began walking away.

_Psht, as if!_

"Nuh uh," Max argued back as she followed her. "I'm too cute for hell!"

"You're also banging another girl like Travis Barker's drum set. I'm pretty sure that's a no go on the heaven thing." Chloe didn't look at her as she spoke, but did offer a tiny shake of her ass. Max could only imagine she was also sticking her tongue out.

"Whatever, Kate has the hook ups. We can be her VIP guests," Max laughed. She looked behind her briefly, then back at Chloe. "Hey, should we wait?"

"Nah, I want to talk to him first about some personal stuff." Chloe stopped for a moment and scanned around her. "Oh, come on, he's this way." She held a hand behind her, which Max took immediately.

Max followed behind for only a bit longer until they both came to a stop just before the tombstone. Despite the snow obscuring many things, the gold, weather worn plaque bearing the name William Price was still clear to see. Max felt her stomach tighten in nervousness. The last time _she_ had seen William, she was knowingly watching him march off to death. A second death that, if she were to be unkind to herself, was entirely her fault.

_Be cool, Max. Come on._

She hadn't stressed herself thinking too long about any time travel related issues since her night with Chloe. As far as she could tell, that seemed to cure it, but she didn't want to tempt fate...again (and again.) However, William was important enough to both her and Chloe that it demanded her full attention.

"Hey Dad," Chloe said cheerily, leaning forward to sweep off the thin layer of snow from the top of the tombstone. She looked back at Max with a playful look and cleared her throat. "Okay, so she's fucking gorgeous, right?!"

"Chloe!" Max squeaked.

_That's your lead in? REALLY?_

"Hey, I'm allowed to brag," she said to Max. She took a few steps back and slung her arm around the girl. "So yeah, I told you I'd be back with Max! She's going to take some photos too since this place looks hella pretty right now."

_'Fucking' AND 'hella.' Wow, what a hypocrite. At least we can hand hold hands on the way to hell._

"Hi, William," Max said, using a playful tone. "Your daughter is still a mess. Just thought you should know."

"She loves me though," Chloe interjected, pointing at the grave. "Don't let her sassy comments fool you."

"I'm sure you don't have to convince him," Max said. "It's pretty obvious to everyone in a one hundred mile radius that I'm madly in love with you." She raised her eyebrows as she awaited the flustered response from her girlfriend.

_I have this down to a science at this point._

"Okay, well...I just wanted to tell him..." Chloe murmured with noticeably pink cheeks, even for the cold.

"See how easy it is to embarrass her even after all this time?" Max asked William as she laughed. "She likes to act tough but I don't think she's getting the leading role, if you know what I'm saying." The punk bopped Max on the head with her palm. "Hey, why you hittin' me?"

"Stop being all 'muahaha' with my dad, you guys used to do that all the time. Not fun." She pouted and turned back to the tombstone.

_William and I did used to give her a hard time a lot...It was kind of 'our' game._

"So anyway," the punk said. "I just wanted to come give a little update. Still working at the Two Whales! Haven't fucked that up yet, so that's good." She gave a quick self-congratulatory nod to the brunette. "Still haven't gotten on the school thing yet, but that's okay because..." She looked at Max as she hopped up and down in excitement. Max shook her head as she smiled. "Dude, tell him!"

"I'm taking next year off," Max said. "So that way Chloe won't whine about me doing homework all the time. I'm kind of taking the bullet for her here."

"Shitty phrasing," Chloe snirked under her breath. "And hey, don't act like you're not the one complaining all woe-is-me about homework all the fucking time! You're all mad because I want you to do better in school instead of us just..." Her eyes narrowed as a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

_What is that look for?_

"Hey, Dad," Chloe said, her voice quieter than it had been as she tiptoed toward the grave. "Guess what? Max Caulfield _seduced_ me! Your precious daughter!"

_WHAT NO_

"Chloe!" Max shrieked. "What the hell!? I...I..." She took a few steps closer. "William, I didn't seduce her! Seriously!" She held her hands up in defense.

"She totally did!" Chloe shouted joyously. "Get the shotgun, Daddy! She deflowered your little baby!"

"Oh my god," Max spun toward her, clasping her hands to her head. "Why would you tell him that!? He won't like me anymore!"

_Oh my god oh my god oh my godohmygod_

"William, it's not like that! I...I love her so much!" Max's voice was breaking under her nervousness. "I didn't seduce her! We...we were just..." Chloe cut her off by engulfing her in a hug.

"Dude, chill," she giggled. "My dad would be so happy that we're as into this as we are. He knew I liked you even back in the day. He'd totally high five me." Max gasped.

"You _knew_ about this!?" She asked William.

_What a traitor!_

"Yep, yep. He totally did," Chloe responded for him, sliding behind Max. She rested her chin on the brunette's shoulder. "Dad, it's so crazy. Everything we've been through and I'm finally so, so happy. I can just imagine you chasing me around teasing me and saying dumb shit like 'well if you love her so much why don't you marry her?'" She laughed, her grip around Max tightening. "Or did you find some better jokes? I imagine they must have improved after all this time, right?" Max looked over the grave with a smile as she remembered all of William's terrible jokes. Then she felt Chloe's whole body tremble against her. "Daddy?" Her voice was much different, more fragile and quiet. "He never answers back..."

_Oh, Chlo..._

"Hey, hey, come on," Max said as she spun in Chloe's arms until they faced each other. The girl was silently crying, her knees quaking with the tears. "Babe, it's okay. It's alright." Max tightened their hug, kissing the tear sliding below the punk's eye.

"He'd be so bummed that I'm crying," she whimpered, raising her arms to adjust into a big bear hug.

"Chloe, I don't think I've ever seen William bummed at you. You ruled his world." She kissed her softly on the lips. "I know it's hard. I know. I'm here, okay?"

"See how amazing she is!?" Chloe half wailed, half laughed at William's grave, shaking her fist. "It's _fucking_ ridiculous!"

"Okay, calm down," Max chuckled. "You are being an emotional machine gun right now." Chloe started to laugh as she buried her face in Max's neck.

"I know, I know," she muttered against the girl's skin. "Just a lot of feelings at once. The only way I can figure out how to organize them is to vocalize." She finally straightened out and stretched her neck. "Okay, do you think we could do a little silent talk with him?"

"Babe, of course," Max said. Chloe turned toward the grave and stuffed her hands in her pocket. Max did the same, only she swung her arms behind her, catching her left wrist with her right hand. Glancing to the side, she could see Chloe's lips move in small, half-formed words. She took a deep breath and began her own dialogue.

_Hi William..._

_It's kind of weird how I just saw you a few months ago... Would you even know about that? Do ghosts or angels know about different timelines? And if you DO know...what could you possibly think? Are you mad? Happy? It's so confusing._

Max felt Chloe's fingers wind between hers. She closed her eyes as she released a small, pleasant snicker.

_Not gonna lie, your daughter is kind of high maintenance. I used to think I wouldn't want to date a guy if he didn't hold the door open for me. Chloe? Sure, I'll tear apart reality for her. No big thing, just let me get my coat. You and Joyce really created something amazing. I just hope you'd think I was good enough for her. Trust me, I will protect her no matter the cost. That I can promise. She means everything to me._

_I hope wherever you are, you can see her and how amazing she is. I'm so proud of her and I know you would be too. She's really grown up in so many ways. I mean, probably a bit too many dirty jokes, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I wouldn't...I actually wouldn't change ANYTHING._

She exhaled through her nose, fighting the urge to smack herself in the forehead with her palm.

_It sounds totally bonkers when I say it all together like that. I wouldn't change anything...after a week of rewinding even the smallest interaction. Rewinding the way I looked at someone! Everything is as perfect as it can be. Don't know if I even still have the powers but I'm never using them again. I got what I wanted, as selfish as that sounds. I think it's...probably also what you would want, right?_

_Like I said, I promise I'll look after Chloe. I'll do my best to make her as happy as I possibly can. She deserves it. And no, don't worry, I'll still give her a hard time when she's askin' for it. That I can do in your honor. I miss you, William. Love you._

Max ended her conversation with William but remained still as Chloe continued. She took the extra moment to look around at the mostly unstirred snow in the graveyard, giving it a blindingly pure look. Finally, Chloe gave her hand a little tug as she smiled.

"It's weird that I still get nervous like he's going to scold me," she laughed quietly. "But I kind of really like coming here. I mean, still feel like shit for avoiding it for all these years but..." She rolled her eyes. "No time like the present, right?"

"That's right," Joyce said, giving both girls a small startle. Considering her somber environment, she had a beautiful glow in her smile. Max had assumed most of this could be attributed to David standing next to her, their arms looped together. It seemed like he was forcing a 'serious' expression, though she could tell it was something more like nerves. He held a vibrant bouquet of flowers by his side, which twitched up and down with his anxiousness.

_He's...worried about making a good impression! Oh, David. That's so sweet._

"You guys are like turtles," Chloe teased. "Me and Max had enough time to read War and Peace to him while you caught up."

"Sorry," David said. "We were doing some sightseeing. And wanted to give you girls some time alone." He took a deep breath as his gaze fell between Max and Chloe, focusing on the tombstone. "William Price..." His voice was quiet as he read the name

"That's him!" Chloe replied, skipping away from Max to take a spot next to him. She slung an arm over his shoulders. "Go on, I'm sure he's psyched to meet his Eskimo brother!"

_Chloe, why would you even go there?_

"I don't know what that means," Joyce said accusingly, "but I'm sure it's something unsavory." Chloe pressed a hand to her heart in mock offense. "Yeah, play innocent. I know how to Google."

"Please don't," Max pleaded, taking her own place next to Joyce. She let her head rest on Joyce's shoulder. "Trust me on that one."

"Fine," Joyce said, reaching up to pat Max's head. "For you, I'll remain ignorant."

"Well," Chloe began, taking a big step away from David, "I think me and Max are going to go look around and see if she can get any cool photos! Probably go see Rach, too."

"Okay sweetie," Joyce said. "We'll meet you at the car. Say hi to her for us."

* * *

"I can't believe that camouflaged teddy bear drove the half hour round trip just for some flowers," Chloe said with a snicker as she and Max walked along the graves.

"Says the one who's provided me with enough flowers for my own personal greenhouse," Max quipped back, nudging her shoulder into the punk. "It's really sweet that David wanted to come and meet him." She pulled her camera out of her bag and examined it.

"It is sweet. And weird. It's sweeird," Chloe mused. "That guy is so full of surprises I'm not sure he actually has any bones." She let her hand rest on Max's shoulder as they kept pace on their stroll. "Oh, hey! What about that?" She pointed at a statue of an angel, dusted over with snow. Its head was bowed as its hands were clasped in prayer.

"Good eye, cutie," Max said as she aimed the camera. "You don't think it's weird to take photos in a graveyard?"

"No way, man. It's so pretty. Like...it's sad, duh. But it has a certain charm." She laughed a little as Max shook the Polaroid. "Plus it's not like nobody _ever_ has taken a picture in a cemetery before. Where do you think they get all cover art for shoegaze albums?"

"As always, you present an infallible argument," Max giggled. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. "Here, hold this a sec," she said as she handed the camera to Chloe. Max bit the finger of one of her gloves and shook her head until it hung between her teeth. She retrieved her phone and swiped along the screen until she found a text that made her chuckle.

**Victoria:** Tell bitchface to answer her fucking texts I'm going to strangle her s2g

"You're in trouble," Max teased as she showed the punk the phone.

"Oh, whoops," Chloe laughed. "It's on silent. Can you just let her know that I'll get back to her in a little?" She jostled the camera. "You'd think she was an explosives expert with the way she blows up my phone."

_Have they really been texting that much? Weird..._

"She's been texting me a lot too since she went home. What, uh..." Max scratched at her hair through Chloe's beanie. "What has she been blowing up your phone for?"

"She's kind of all over the place, but there's a lot of Kate 'undertones,'" she said with a smirk. "Apparently she accidentally thinks I know what I'm talking about."

"That is _weird_." Max snarked. "You clearly have no idea what you're talking about." She closed her eyes and grinned at Chloe, who released a loud huff. "But I'm dying to figure out what they got each other for Christm..." She stopped talking as her eyes strayed over the punk's shoulder to David in the distance, his head down as his hand rested on William's grave. Joyce stood off to the side, giving him room. Prickles of excitement scattered along Max's skin. "Give me that!" She tore the camera out of Chloe's hands and jerked it up to her face. "Stay...just like that, okay?"

_David and William together... This is a beautiful shot. But I gotta be sneaky._

"You're not even really aiming it at me..." Chloe said, her eyes holding a flicker of suspicion.

"Oh, so you're a critic now?" Max taunted, though her attention mostly stayed on David. She took two little hops closer. "I'm an _artist_ , Chlo. You gotta let me experiment."

_There, I set that one up for her._

"Heh, yeah, I think I let you do plenty of experimenting, Maximus." Chloe wiggled her eyebrows proudly as Max snapped the photo of David. She quickly took it from the camera and began flitting it in the air until it became clear, then slipped it in her bag between the pages of her journal.

"You are far too easy," she giggled, booping the punk on the nose. "And I'm not referring to the experimenting thing, either."

"Oh! You took a Christmas picture, didn't you?" She nodded slowly. "Very sneaky, ninja Max. As your reward, I won't even turn around to see what it was."

"Yeah, I'm cool like that," she said, kissing the punk's nose. "See any more cool photo ops?"

"Hmm..." Chloe threaded her fingers through Max's and began to walk again. "I don't know, I don't have the eye for it. You could put the camera into the air and take a picture of nothing and then have this crazy explanation for it. I'd just be like 'yep, makes sense to me.'"

"Well, you'd be taking a photo of the sky. It's not 'nothing,'" Max chuckled.

"Alright asshole," Chloe grumbled, unable to hide her smirk. "I took a pretty cool shot the last time I was here but it kind of...turned out weird." She turned and began leading Max up a small hill.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Did you have your thumb over the camera?"

"Har har," the punk mocked. "No, I took a pic of this doe but I think I was seeing things because it wasn't there when I looked at it afterward. Like, poof! Magic doe." Chloe stopped and pointed in front of her.

_A...doe that didn't show up in a photo?_

"Kind of a shame though because it was right here. It was a really pretty picture." Max followed Chloe's gesture to the tombstone before them. Reading the name Rachel Dawn Amber sent shivers through her spine.

_And the doe was standing by Rachel's grave... She's still looking out for us, I guess._

"Yeah," Max said quietly. "It sounds like a really beautiful shot."

"Not as beautiful as yo face, though," Chloe said, oblivious to the girl's thoughts. She grabbed Max's cheeks and pressed a kiss against her lips. She pulled away and spun toward the tombstone. "Ha! See! I bet you never thought you'd see me kissing Max fucking Caulfield!" She held both middle fingers up, alternating pumping them in the air.

"Oh, you're showing off, now?" Max snickered. Rachel's grave was noticeably cleaner looking than William's. A fresher wound. She sighed as she held onto Chloe's arm and laid her head on her shoulder. "At least it's peaceful here. Until we showed up, anyway."

"A-K-A, she's bored as fuck. We should come out here with speakers and blast some good music for her." Chloe began to wave her hips side to side. "Turn this place into a fucking thrash zone, you know?"

_Two girls running around headbanging in a cemetery... I'm SURE that'd go over well!_

"Maybe," Max said with a wink. "We don't want to accidentally make real life Thriller." She chuckled into Chloe's shoulder. "Also, hey, Rachel. I'll give you an actual greeting."

"Psht, dude. Middle fingers were basically our waving." She widened her stance a bit as she tightened her arm against herself, trapping Max's arms. "So, Rach..." She briefly looked down at Max with an evil smile. "I have some puh-retty interesting things to tell ya."

"Chloe!" Max squeaked as her face turned red all over again.

* * *

"Okay but," Chloe began, lurching forward and grabbing David's headrest, "I've been listening to them and I really think Special Forces is better than Wild-Eyed Southern Boys."

"You are nuts," David said, shaking his head. He pointed at the stereo. "You can't beat this."

"Dadvid, you're tripping, man," Chloe flung her arm forward, though the seat belt kept her from being able to reach any of the buttons. He playfully swatted her on the wrist. Joyce turned to the window, glancing back at Max with a smile as she shook her head. The brunette only shrugged in response.

"And how long are we going to sit in the driveway talking about this?" Joyce asked, turning her head to David. He seemed to cower just a little, though Chloe picked up the slack.

"As long as it takes! This is serious, Mother!" She shot a quick glance at Max, sticking her tongue out between her teeth. Max shook her head sternly and patted her on the knee.

"I appreciate your valor, but I'm cold and would like to go inside, please," Max said. Chloe immediately flopped back onto her seat with a small pout.

"Sorry, cutie, let's get you inside," she responded as she unbuckled Max's seat belt, then her own. Joyce and David, both with their necks craned, stared into the backseat in awe. They looked back at each other, with Joyce narrowing her eyes a bit.

"My wildchild daughter stops everything when her girlfriend asks her to," she said, turning her nose up at David. "I clearly need to think some things through." He turned and glared at Chloe as she opened the car door, though he was only met with a grin.

"You know," Chloe said as she stood up, "we technically just went on a double date. I'm not sure how to feel about that."

_Double date with parents! Eeeewwwww!_

"You should be feeling 'thanks for the free food,'" Joyce replied. "Are you full, Max?"

"Oh, yeah! Stuffed!" Max patted her stomach for emphasis. "Thank you so much for inviting me out with you guys." Chloe swooped around the trunk of the car to wrap Max in a hug.

"It's our pleasure," David said, leading the way to the house. "You staying the night?" He asked her as he opened the door.

"Yep, I am! Starting tomorrow, I'm taking care of Kate's bunny over the break so I won't be able to stay here all that much."

"So I guess that means you'll," he nodded at Chloe, "be spending most of your nights at Blackwell." The punk nodded happily as she kicked her boots off and skated into the kitchen. He chuckled, then looked at Max. "Head of security and I'm letting my stepdaughter run rampant. You'll keep her in check for me, right?"

_I have my ways, yes. Usually the puppy dog eyes do the trick._

"You can count on me!" Max said back, offering him a salute. To her surprise, and probably his, he actually ruffled her hair.

_His dad powers are activating!_

"Sorry," he chuckled. "I don't know what came over me." He thought for a moment and stretched his neck as he pressed a palm against it. "How uh, how is Kate doing by the way?"

"She's doing great, actually. I think she's been putting in a lot of work with doctors and we've all be there to support her." She snorted. "You should see how motherly Chloe can be with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth!"

"I'm glad to hear she's doing well after everything she went through." He laughed quietly. "Cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Reminds me of my mom. You know, I think..." He paused as he watched Joyce and Chloe playfully squabble in the kitchen. "I think you and I are very lucky to have found the Prices."

"I think you might be right, David," she replied, her smile growing as the punk approached her, hunched close to the floor as if stalking. The way her hair, longer now than when they had first met back up, flowed through the air with each dramatic step closer sparked the tiniest, silliest lightbulb in Max's head.

_I guess she might like it, right?_

"I'm like Jaws, see?" Chloe finally said as she pounced toward Max and lifted her into the air. "Wanna go watch a movie? Doesn't have to be shark related. I know you're a scaredy-otter." David had slipped by them and was now with Joyce in the kitchen.

"Uh huh, sure, just give me one second," Max said, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Chloe shrugged and began to climb the steps.

"Don't keep me waiting too long, Miss Caulfield," the punk called behind her. Max voiced a small 'yeah' as she scrolled through her phone.

****Max:**** Hi Courtney, when are you leaving for the holidays?

****Courtney:**** Not for a few days. Why, what up?

****Max:**** I think I'm going to need your help with something...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey! I wanted to give a big shout out to Rayne for making an adorable and amazing fanart of Ouroboros! You can find it here: http://raynedrawsthings.tumblr.com/post/149774371429/this-fic-is-a-godsend-and-no-one-can-convince-me 
> 
> Make sure you check out their other work too! <3
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, you rock!


	37. Chloe Totally Ships Bubbline

"Yeah, Ethan's kind of my little buddy," Courtney said, kneeling in front of Max as she pinned the girl's hair into a bun centered on the top of her head. "He's going to be so excited that we were able to get him his game for Christmas."

"How old is he?" Max asked, lifting a small cluster of hair strands out of her face so Courtney could grab them. "I didn't even know you had a brother."

"He's twelve," she responded. Her smile dipped into a bit somberness. "You know, that age before most realize what the world's really like. Wish I could keep him in a bubble." She backed off a bit to analyze Max. "The bangs, right?"

"Yeah, please," she said, more thinking about Courtney's previous statement. "Being a kid was kind of surreal, huh?"

"That's one word for it, definitely," Courtney said as she draped the towel over Max's shoulders. "Childlike wonder is the most precious resource." She swung her legs to the side and stood up from the floor, retrieving the small bottle Max had brought with her.

_Never stopped to wonder if she thought about stuff like this..._

"Cute color," Courtney said with a smile, waving the bottle around. "Like a little pixie girl." She plopped back down in front of Max and tilted her head in thought. "Thanks for coming to me. I'm glad we're cool, you know?"

"Yeah, me too," Max chuckled. She watched as the girl pulled on the latex gloves, her thoughts briefly drifting to the Dark Room when she heard the second one snap against her wrist. The train of thought fizzled out, instead blooming into more 'neutral' topics. "I bet you would have made the Vortex Club party really awesome, though." Courtney stopped and stared at her, presumably trying to follow the leap in thought process.

"Yeah, I had it in the bag, honestly," she finally said with a small snicker. "But it's cool, there will be better parties in the future. Ones with you and Chloe and Kate at them. Being in the Vortex Club was 'cool' and all, but...like what's the fucking point, really?" She picked up a small brush and ran her gloved finger along the bristles. "The further away I get from it, the happier I am it's gone."

_All because of one little change._

"Blame that on my girlfriend, I guess," Max laughed. "One bullet and everything changes." Courtney fiddled with a shallow bowl, her head going left and right as she thought it over.

"Yeah, I guess that's true, actually." She dabbed the brush in the color and held it up. "You ready?" Max took a deep breath and nodded. "I still can't..." She began stroking the brush through the brunette's hair, "I just can't believe Nathan fucking shot her. Like, I can't believe it because it's _so_ easy to believe, if that makes sense? How blind were we?"

"I don't think anyone should have to expect something like that," Max responded, her eyes pointing upward as she tried to see what Courtney was doing. "Is it okay so far?"

_Dear god, please don't let me regret this._

"I _just_ started," she laughed. She shifted herself into a more comfortable position. "Anyway, I guess you're right. It's just...ugh, it blows. Poor Kate... The way we all treated her. How could we have known that?" She narrowed her eyes. "I need to chill before I mess up those beautiful locks."

"Kate's doing so well now, though," Max said. "And a lot of that has to do with you, Victoria and Taylor becoming her friends. I know you don't feel like it's an acceptable balance, but you just... _can't_ really balance stuff like that." She scrunched her nose at the smell wafting around her head. "I'm gonna get high from these fumes."

"Ha! Man, I wish," Courtney snirked. "You're right though, as always. Anyone ever told you you're 'wise beyond your years?' Sounds like Max Caulfield to me."

"It's been mentioned," she replied, reaching beside her for a drink, careful not to move her head too much. "Whether it's good or bad remains to be seen."

"That's fair," the girl said back, continuing her work. She chuckled. "Sorry for such weird talk. I started rereading your book so the whole 'innocent kid' thing has been on my mind a lot. Especially when I think of my brother. I don't think my parents have explained any of the crazy shit that happened here to him and I don't really think I want them to." She took an exaggerated sniff. "Maybe this is making us a little high."

"My book?" Max asked as she laughed.

"Yeah, Catcher in the Rye, you know. Isn't Holden like your grandfather?" She winked as she said it.

"Heh, I don't think so. I didn't inherit his 'goddamn gray hair' anyway." Max popped her lips. "I don't think I'd want them to tell him either, honestly. Let him...let him just not know about that stuff for a little while."

"Exactly." Courtney stopped working and smiled. "We're totally having barber talk right now."

"Yeah, except I actually like talking to you," Max laughed. "The woman I went to in Seattle used to just talk about the latest celebrity gossip all the time! Courtney, you won't even believe how much I didn't care."

"Aw, shit," the girl said as she began with the brush again. "Now I have to figure out what to talk about next." She 'hmm'd. "That's good to know, though. Hair stylist seems like a pretty likely outcome for me, so I'll remember not to talk to the cute, hipster people about the juicy celeb news." She swished the brush down into the bowl. "What, you guys like talking about Pitchfork and organic coffee, right?"

_Aww, she's got jokes!_

"We like to talk about a lot of stuff but you've probably never heard of any of it," Max shot back.

"Touche."

"So how long is this stuff going to last anyway?" The decreasingly brunette girl asked.

"Depends how much you wash it." Courtney sucked some air through her teeth. "You could just rat nest it and try to keep it as long as possible." She closed one eye as her tongue drooped between her lips in an act of concentration. "It kind of looks like you got into a fight with a cotton candy monster."

"Wow, that doesn't inspire a lot of faith!" Max replied nervously. "Are you telling me it looks bad?"

"Oh my god, chill, it looks cute. Well, it _will_ look cute." She shook her head. "Inspire faith, pfft. I can't believe you doubt me. You should take a page from Kate's book."

"I'm pretty sure it's a sin to rip a page out of that particular book," Max quipped back.

"Sin, right..." Courtney's voice lingered on that. She stopped working on Max's hair and sat so they were at eye level. "This is going to sound crazy, but have you noticed anything about the way Vic treats Kate?" Max's eyes shot wide.

_Uh. UH. Barrel roll!_

"Okay, now I _know_ these fumes are getting us high," Max said with a forced but convincing laugh.

* * *

"Okay guys," Max said with a raised voice as she leaned against the door. "I'm going to open this thing and laser focus on your reaction."

_Please be anything other than horrified._

"I have no idea what we're talking about," Warren responded. She could hear a small rattle of metal. "But I think Kate's rabbit wants me to give her house back." Kate began to mumble something about Alice's virtue of patience as Max yanked the door open, her teeth clamped down tightly on her bottom lip. Warren's jaw slacked open. "Ohhhhh my g-"

"Pink!" Kate shrieked, hopping toward Max with an absurdly large smile. "It's pink!" She bounced up and down, jostling the poor bunny in her arms. "It looks amazing!"

"It's pink," Max confirmed, carefully pinching the top of her bangs where they color tapered off into her natural brown. She looked at Warren, who still seemed too stunned to say anything. "Dude, give me something here," she pleaded.

_Holy shit his eyes give me **nothing.**_

"Oh! Oh," he sputtered, briefly shaking his head. "No, Max, it looks great! Just caught me totally off guard. Wasn't expecting it."

"I was," Kate replied in a singsong tone, her eyes shut as she grinned. "Courtney told me she was helping you out! It looks so great!" She enthusiastically held Alice out close to Max's face. "Look at your Aunt Max!" The rabbit's nose twitched in response.

"Okay, so I don't look like I bobbed for apples in a vat of paint?" Max asked, moving to the side so Warren could bring Alice's cage through. He snorted, spinning toward her.

"I'd be more concerned with why you were diving open-mouthed into paint," he said. She only glared in return. "Sorry, no, it looks awesome. Where do you want the cage?" She pointed at the floor where it had resided in the previous timeline.

_There you go, Lisa. You have a new buddy for a little while._

"So, does Chloe know yet?" Kate asked, trotting over to the cage and letting Alice slip inside. She turned back to the girl with excited eyes.

"Not yet, no," she said. "She'll be here soon though, so you guys can see whether or not it was total fail as a Christmas present."

"Christmas present?" Warren asked, flopping onto the sofa. "Man, you did get creative."

"It's crafty!" Kate added, clapping her hands together. "Oh, I'm sure she'll adore it." Max looked the two of them up and down and smirked.

"Speaking of Christmas presents... Kate, could you sit next to Warren?" She pointed at the empty spot next to him. The blonde nodded and took a seat next to him. Max quickly grabbed her camera from her desk and held it up. "It'd be silly of me to not get a photo of her favorite bunny and delinquent son, right?"

"I don't think I'm a delinquent," Warren quietly argued back with a puffed out bottom lip as Kate scooted closer to him.

"Don't talk back," Max coolly reprimanded as she aimed the camera. Kate tilted her head to the right slightly as she bared her teeth in a beautiful smile. Warren held up a peace sign, his own smile showing that trademark 'smiling for a camera is so weird and hard' expression Max had seen so much throughout her life as a photographer. "Uno, dos..." The flash filled the room. She looked at the photo in her hand and grinned. "Guys, I think I might actually not suck at Christmas."

"Plus video games!" Warren cheered back, pointing at her. "I can't wait to troll her Animal Crossing village. You can like, um, run everywhere and it kills all the grass." He wiggled his eyebrows at Max.

"That sounds very rude," Kate protested. "Can you plant more?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "My town kind of looks post-apocalyptic now. I think you might be-" He was cut off by an enthusiastic knock at the door.

"Ho, ho, ho," Chloe boomed. A barely audible snicker could be heard followed by an equally quiet "oh wait, Victoria's not here."

_Oh god, this was a bad idea I regret everything._

"Uhhhh," Max stammered in a shout, her eyes wide as she looked at Kate and Warren, "come on in!" She turned away from the door and dazedly wandered to her desk, setting the camera down and hiding the new photo. The punk came through the door, smiling wickedly.

"What up!?" She greeted, shaking her head left and right so the white ball at the end of her Santa hat jerked through the air. "Like my hat? I stole it off a weird, little mannequin thing at the Two Whales!"

"I should have worn mine," Kate said in a disappointed tone. "Mine has little holly leaves around the white trim, it's very cute."

"Yeah, well, I didn't have a lot to choose from," Chloe chuckled, slinging a bag from off her shoulder onto Max's bed. She looked at the brunette, who still had her back turned as she leaned over the desk, and cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. She turned her attention to Warren and nodded. "Hey, dude." He waved back then smiled, burying his face in his hands to hide the expression. Seeing this, Chloe took in a deep breath and stepped toward Max. "Uh, hey, everything okay, Maximus?"

"Okay, wait," Max squeaked, bringing Chloe to a halt. "I have an early present for you."

"Really!? That's hella exciting. I hope it's a cheeseburger because I'm stupid hung..." Her voice caught in her throat as Max turned around, clutching at her elbow in nervousness. The punk's eyes quickly scanned over the dark pink threaded through the girl's bangs. A clicking groan escaped Chloe's throat as they tried to form words. "Holy fuck..." She finally said in an almost whisper.

"Um," Max winced, "is that good or is-"

"Holy **FUCK**!" Chloe screamed, dashing toward Max and colliding into her so she was pinned against her desk. "Oh my god, holy shit, this is amazing!" She took a few strands between her fingers and analyzed them with a surprised smile.

"I think she likes it," Warren whispered to Kate who only nodded in response.

"It's...not permanent," Max grunted with a small laugh. "Chlo, you're crushing me a little."

"Sorry!" Chloe took a few steps back and let her head hang to the side as she gazed at Max. "You are the coolest ever, holy shit. You look so hardcore!" She turned back to the two on the couch and pointed at her girlfriend. "Did you guys see this!?"

_Well, I guess mission accomplished._

"See what?" Kate asked, then giggled. "I think it looks great." Chloe grabbed Max by the hand and led her to the bed where they sat next to each other. She kept the girl's hand in her lap and kicked her legs joyously.

"Well, I'm all fucked for the day," she laughed, turning to look at Max once again. She narrowed her eyes and grinned, shaking her head in disbelief. "Anyway, what's going on with you guys?"

"My parents are picking me up soon so I brought Alice over!" Kate said, reaching over Warren to point at the cage.

"Oooh!" Chloe jumped up from the bed and dashed toward the rabbit, but refusal to let go of Max's hand kept her from going too far. "Is that my niece? I get to spoil her?"

"Mmn," Kate took on an expression of warning, "you can spoil her with cuddles but not food. She is on a rigorous bunny diet."

"Does she eat carrots?" Chloe asked, getting to her tip toes to get a better view of the rabbit. "Does she like to be held?"

"Babe, you can let go," Max interjected with a snicker. The punk turned to her and shook her head with a scowl.

"She eats timothy mostly," Kate said, laughing when Chloe turned to her with a look of horror. "It's hay, Chloe. But her favorite treat is strawberries. You can give her some..." She held up an index finger. "Every so often."

"I'll keep her in line," Max said, then gave a light tug to Chloe's hand. "I mean Chloe, by the way." The blue haired girl sat back down next to Max with a dramatic huff.

"Wanna spoil," she groaned, throwing her head back. "Fine, only five strawberries per hour. I can handle that." She held a hand up in defense when Kate gasped in horror. "I'm kidding, Kate." She lifted a leg and pointed her foot at Warren. "Sup man, where's girl Warren?"

"That makes it sound weird," he complained, scrunching his nose. "And she already left. This place is becoming a ghost town. I got run over by a tumbleweed earlier!"

"Not for long since I'm basically moving in," Chloe snirked, furiously tearing at her boots to get them off. "Did you and Brooke already exchange gifts!?" Once she had successfully removed them, she fell backward so the wall propped her up.

"Not yet," he said. "We're going to hook up Christmas Eve and do it, I think? I keep feeling like I need to get her more stuff... It's hard."

_I know those feels, Warren._

"You guys are so cute," Kate giggled, nudging Warren with her elbow. "I hope some day I can stress out about getting presents for the person I love." Max actually felt a slight breeze with how quickly Chloe sat up. She turned to her, ready to disassemble any inappropriate sentence that might come out of her mouth. Instead, she saw the girl's eyes working manically over Kate until they went wide for a split second.

"Is that a new necklace?" Chloe asked her, shuffling her butt closer to the edge of the bed. The blonde looked down and smiled as a rosiness bloomed in her cheeks. Max squinted and could see a beautiful silver cross hanging from a chain around her neck.

_No way! Chlo, you're like a hawk._

"Yes," Kate said quietly, slipping her hand beneath it and lifting it up for everyone to see better. "Victoria gave it to me, actually. She said it was her grandmother's but because she's not particularly religious, I should have it. Isn't that sweet?" Max started to respond but had to choke down a burst of laughter when she saw Warren's face as he connected all the dots. He mouthed 'oh my god' to her. She sneakily nodded in confirmation.

_Yeah, welcome to this weird and bizarre adventure, dude._

"That is sweet," Chloe replied with a shockingly sincere tone. "She must really like you." She ignored the glare from Max.

"Yeah, I'm really happy we're..." Kate's face registered a quick flare of confusion, then disappointment before falling neutral once more. "Friends."

_What was that? She looked so...oh, Kate._

"I'm happy we're all friends now!" Kate added, shifting into a more uplifting tone. "I love you guys!"

* * *

"Alright," Warren finally said, patting his knees after an hour or so of the four of them hanging out. "I told my mom I'd be home relatively early, so I should probably head out." Chloe's spine straightened as she screeched.

"Wait, stay the fuck there!" She reached behind her and pulled the overnight bag into her lap. "I totally forgot what with the rocker chick hair and bunny, but there _is_ a reason I'm wearing this hat." She unzipped the bag and removed three giftwrapped objects. "Dude, catch," she said as she Frisbee'd a rectangle at the boy.

_Was wondering if you were ever going to give them out._

"Wait, what?" He asked, holding it up. "What is this?"

"It's a fucking washing machine," she shot back dryly. "It's a present, you doofus! Here, Kate, I got these for you." She slid off the bed and handed the other two presents to the blonde.

"I didn't get you anything!" Warren shouted in a panic. "Why didn't you tell me!?" The punk turned toward him and put her hands on her hips.

"Relax, dude. It's just a small thank you. You know, for like..." Her hands slipped from her hips and dug into her pockets. "Being my friend and stuff. I don't know. Just take it. They're kind of dumb, anyway."

"Oh, Chloe!" Kate chirped, holding the now unwrapped sketchbook in her hands. "I needed a new one! Thank you so much!" Max watched on as the blonde held it up triumphantly, the resulting expression of fulfillment on Chloe's face filling her heart with warmth.

_So cute. Keep acting like you still don't know how to be nice._

"No problem, Pumpkin. Spoilers – the other one is a box of colored pencils. Top shelf stuff from the craft store, though. None of that RoseArt shit." She chuckled and looked over her shoulder at Max. "Remember when your dad bought us those once and we threatened to riot?"

"We made him use them for like an hour until he apologized," Max nodded with a smile. "We were ruthless little bitches."

"Woah! I love this movie!" Warren exclaimed. "The Gods Must Be Crazy is a classic! So funny. How did you know I liked it?"

"Oh come on," Chloe teased. "Like Mr. Film Connoisseur isn't going to have a hard on for a cult comedy. Not a hard guess. But hey, congrats, man! You legally own a movie!" She squawked in laughter.

"This is so sweet," Kate said, bounding from the couch to wrap Chloe in a hug. "I'll think of you anytime I draw in it!"

"Yeah, thanks, Chloe," Warren added as he hugged the both of them.

_Hey wait, I want hugs!_

"Let me in there too!" Max yelped, hurrying to be a part of it. After staying like that for a moment, Chloe laughed.

"Okay, you guys need to chill before I get all emotional and shit." She sighed happily. "Merry Christmas, guys."

Soon after, Warren left. Kate went over the rules for taking care of Alice one last time then made a point to mention the girls meeting her family over the holiday before also taking her leave. Once they were both gone, Chloe sprawled out on the couch. Max crawled on top of her and rested her chin on the girl's chest.

"So am I Mrs. Claus, then?" She asked, batting her lashes.

"Yeah right, says the one who actually dropped a nuke of a gift," she laughed, running her fingers through Max's hair. "So sexy, damn. When did you do this?"

"This morning," Max replied, snaking one arm beneath the punk. "So your fingers are probably all pink." She giggled at Chloe's indifferent shrug. "You like it, though?"

"Uh, I hella love it, Max! Huge surprise. You look like you're ready to kick some teeth out at a show."

_Can I be the girl at the show that helps people find their teeth?_

"That's not really what I was going for, but I'll take it," she chuckled, turning her head to the side and snuggling her girlfriend. "Courtney said it should last for a little while, so you get plenty of time with 'cool Max.'"

"You're always 'cool Max,'" Chloe said, rolling her eyes. "You didn't just do this because you thought it'd make me like you more, did you?" Max could see a bit of the excitement drain out of the punk's eyes.

"No! No way, man. I'm hardcore!" Max assured with laughter. "I just know you thought it'd be cute and I was curious too." She propped herself up on her hands. "Why? _Do_ you like me more?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Max, I like..." She snorted in annoyance, flipping the tips of her fingers against the girl's nose. "I _love_ you more every second, regardless of anything else." She puckered her lips in thought. "Although..."

"What?" Max asked cynically.

"I mean, maybe 'cool Max' has some crazy, new tricks up her sleeves. Who knows, right?" She stuck her tongue out.

_Sigh... The puppeteer pulls my strings._

"Guess we should find out," Max cooed, lowering herself into sweet kiss. Chloe's arms wrapped around her and pulled their bodies together tightly. Max's hand trailed down the punk's stomach until it found the button to her pants. The kissing continued, growing harder and rougher as she managed the button undone with just one hand, something she was embarrassingly proud of. A small rustling noise yanked them both out of the moment.

"The fuck was that?" Chloe asked, a bit breathless. Whether she was consciously aware of it, her hips were slowly bucking upward, as if searching for Max's touch to return. Ignoring it for the moment, Max pulled herself higher and peered over the arm of the sofa. With a dissatisfied grunt, Chloe shifted herself until she was also able to see over it. There in her cage, Alice stared at them, her nose twitching feverishly. Silence fell over the room as the girls stared back, daring not to blink.

"This is awkward," Max finally whispered, looking at Chloe with a small hint of blush.


	38. Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even A Crocodile

"And you haven't told them yet?" Chloe asked, dragging an extra chair across the room so she could sit next to Max.

"Nope." Max shrugged. "This is going to be a totally legit reaction." She clicked around the Skype window. "I'm not even worried. That's the rebel side of you wearing off on me." She gave Chloe a quick wink.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll burn you at the stake," Chloe snarked with a roll of her eyes. "Your parents are the chillest people ever, dude." She grabbed Max's wrist when she hovered over the 'call' button. "Wait, fucking wait!" The punk picked up her phone and hurriedly brought up the self-facing camera, shifting her head around as she examined her appearance.

_If only Dad knew how nervous Chloe was about talking to them. He would abuse that so bad. No one should have that much power._

"You ready or what?" Max asked after a second. "You look beautiful like always, stop stressing." The blue haired girl pouted and crossed her arms with a nod. Max finally clicked the button to call her parents. After a moment, Vanessa appeared on the screen, smiling excitedly.

"There's my beautiful daugh- ohhhhh my god!" She shot up out of her seat, cutting her head out of the frame as only her body could be seen along with flailing arms.

_Oh. Well, that's not initially promising._

"Uhh...hey, Mom," Max said, her voice sliding into uncertainty. Vanessa crashed back into her seat and leaned in close to the screen. Her face wasn't registering much positive or negative, instead just showing complete shock. Finally, she leaned back in her seat and turned to the right.

"Ryan!" She called. "You have got to see what our child did now! She looks so cool!" There were unintelligible words from off screen, with Vanessa nodding in response. "No, you have to see it!"

_She said I looked cool at least!_

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Ryan's voice became clearer as he got closer. He placed one hand on the desk and leaned down to see the screen, with his eyebrows immediately shooting up. "Wow, that's different." He chuckled and held his hand up before Max could even react. "Different in a good way! I know how you would take that." He reached out of frame for just a moment and pulled a chair next to his wife. "When did you do this?"

"Just a few days ago. It's actually already faded a little bit." Max puffed out her bottom lip, then corrected it into a smile. "But you guys really like it? It's one of my Christmas presents for..." She looked beside her and bared her teeth before nodding her head at the punk.

"Uh, hi, Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield," Chloe said quietly with a timid wave.

"Hey, Chloe," Ryan said. He slung an arm around Vanessa. "So, first the nose and now the hair. You're not being a bad influence on our daughter, are you?" Luckily, the chuckle as he spoke vanquished any doubt that he was joking.

"Bad influence...fun influence...I mean, is there really a difference?" Chloe asked, holding her hands out flat as she shrugged. Ryan let go of a 'ha!' before nodding in admittance.

"How are you doing, Chloe? How's the job?" Vanessa asked, shifting around in her seat so she could be closer to her husband. The blue haired girl chuckled.

"It's actually not so bad. I even kind of...like it? Ugh, I just got a chill." She laughed and leaned forward. "Who would have thought I'd end up at the Two Whales, right?" Vanessa perked an eyebrow and looked at Ryan before turning back to the screen and laughing.

"Pretty much all of us," she said. "I think we always assumed both of you girls would end up working there at least for a little while. That seemed like the plan until we had to move away." There was a somber note in her voice on that last part. Chloe ignored it.

"Nothing quite like being the last one to know," she snickered, leaning back in her chair. "How are _you_ guys? Max said you were in San Francisco? How is it?"

"It's not bad. A little..." Ryan scrunched his nose, "warm." Vanessa rolled her eyes, clearly having heard his complaints several times over. "But it's nice. Your aunt wanted us to tell you hello, Max."

"Send one back, too," she said. She looped her arm with Chloe's. "From both of us, of course!" The punk's eyes shot wide as she turned to her girlfriend.

"Uh, only if that's, like, cool," Chloe added. Vanessa was currently leaning out of frame, though her hand waved up and down in a 'not even a big deal' motion.

"So," Vanessa began, sitting back upright, "you guys ready to open your presents!?" She balled her hands into fists and flailed them excitedly. Max chuckled and leaned to the side, flipping open the tabs on the large box situated next to her.

_Making me...us...open presents over Skype. I really love that. It's like we're still together._

"Any particular order?" Max asked, retrieving two smaller globs of wrapped-something. She held them up to the camera, with her mother squinting her eyes in thought.

"No, I don't think so," she said. "But do all the paired ones together, obviously." Max nodded and handed one of the presents to Chloe. She took it in her hands as though it were fragile.

"Mrs. Caulfield, you really didn't have to-"

"Will you _stop_ calling me that!?" Vanessa shrieked, dissolving into laughter. "Make me feel so darn old. And you just shush, of course we wanted to get you some stuff too!" She shrugged. "Most of it is probably lame but, y'know."

"No way, nothing from you guys could ever be lame," Chloe said, pulling the paper apart to reveal a pair of purple socks. She smirked and looked back up at the camera.

"You were saying?" Ryan asked, wearing a condescending grin.

"You act like I can't tell that you made these yourself," Chloe shot back, holding the socks up as she smiled. "These feel so hella comfy! Thank you!" Max turned to her and dangled one sock in each hand.

"I got green ones," she said happily. She thanked her parents and moved on to another pair of gifts, these once again containing handmade clothing – scarves. Appropriately, Chloe's was blue and Max's was pink, something her mother was very proud of in retrospect. The punk immediately wrapped it around her neck, striking a proud-as-a-peacock pose as she looked left and right.

"Okay, these ones actually are kind of dumb," Vanessa said as Max held up two more presents. "I was just bein' a mom, you know..." She shot Ryan an unsure, embarrassed look as the girls unwrapped two identical teddy bears. To her relief, they both squealed an 'aw!' simultaneously, with Chloe viciously squeezing it against her chest. "I just thought they were cute," Vanessa admitted, scratching the bridge of her nose. "I am an impulsive shopper."

"No kidding," Ryan said, heartily chuckling when Max's mother whacked him in the shoulder.

"They are cute!" Max said, holding her bear in the air and examining it. "Finally Captain has playmate!"

"And now I'll have something to hug when Max refuses to sleep with me!" Chloe laughed, though it burnt into an awkward chuckle as she prayed for the words to reenter her throat. "Um," she held a finger up, "I'm sorry?"

"Wait, what!?" Ryan shouted, lurching forward. "Are you telling me that my eighteen year old daughter shares a bed with her girlfriend!? It's almost like that makes sense!" He huffed, throwing his head back. "I can't even believe the kids these days. What happened to sleeping with a board between them until marriage?" Max eyed Chloe deviously, guiltily soaking in pleasure from the girl's awkwardness.

_It's not often I'm on the fluffy cat stroking side of the super villain table._

"I don't like the board because it's not optimal for Chloe cuddles," Max said matter-of-factly to her father. He simply shrugged in understanding.

They continued through unwrapping presents. Max received three Ray Bradbury novels in an attempt to fix her long damaged nerd card, though she didn't even remember mentioning them to her mother. She was always amazed by how her mom remembered even the smallest things she said. She also received a box of her favorite coconut bites, some film for her camera and a glow in the dark clock, misshapen and melted to mimic Dali's Persistence of Memory.

To her surprise, Chloe wasn't done yet either. She was given an American Express gift card for seventy-five dollars, a Sex Pistols poster and blue nail polish. Her final gift was a DVD copy of Lake Placid, forcing her to regard Ryan with a dry smile while he shot her finger guns and winked.

"A little mean," she said with a snicker, gesturing at the laptop screen. "But I accept your challenge. Gonna watch it tonight."

"I don't want you to have nightmares on Christmas Eve," Ryan said, but Chloe waved her hand at him.

"Challenge. Accepted." She repeated through her teeth. He held his hands up in defense. "But seriously, just...wow." She looked down at her lap and the floor surrounding her. "Thank you so, so much. You guys are the coolest."

"We'll only take second to Joyce," Vanessa said with a smirk. "But you're more than welcome, Chloe. We still really want to see you so we can give you a hug! You must come here for Spring Break!"

_Now that actually sounds like a great idea!_

"Deal," Chloe said, hugging the teddy bear to her chest once again. Her eyes darted upward in thought for a moment before she stood up. "I'll be right back, okay? Don't hang up!" She scampered out of the room.

_I hope she's going to do what we talked about..._

"How bad do your cheeks hurt?" Max's father asked. "You haven't stopped smiling since the call started." Max bowed her head as she chuckled, scooping fingers through her colored bangs.

"Yeah, she has that effect on me," she replied. She looked around her and laughed, holding up a bundle of torn up wrapping paper. "You guys are ridiculous. Thank you. For everything. I love you."

"Love you too, Maxine," her mother said, now nuzzling into Ryan's side. "Thanks for indulging the whole Skype-present thing. It's..." She pretended to get choked up, "just so hard to not have my baby here on Christmas."

"And I wonder where I get my taste for theatrics," Max snarked back dryly. She could hear footsteps stomping up the stairs to Chloe's door, with the punk's voice talking to someone else. She spun around in her chair, slinging her elbow over the back.

"This better be a funny video, Chloe. I still need to do prep for dinner tomorrow!" Joyce groaned, following behind the mischievous looking blue haired girl. Chloe shot Max a big, excited smile as she slid off to the side, allowing Joyce a clear shot of the laptop as she approached. "Look at all this paper!" She laughed, looking at the ground. "I hope you girls are planning on recy-"

"JOYCE!" Vanessa screamed, once again leaping out of her seat so that her face took up the entirety of the screen. Joyce stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes slowly tracking upward until she found the source of the voice.

_Trap sprung! Muahahaha!_

"Vanessa...?" Joyce asked in a whisper, clearly caught off guard. Vanessa's head only bobbed up in down in a frantic nod. "Oh my word, Vanessa!" Joyce quickly stumbled next to Max and bent down. "Look at you!" Max patted the empty seat next to her so she would sit down.

"Look at me!? I look like a mess! Look at _you_!" There was a throat clearing sound next to her, prompting her to sit back so Max's father could be seen.

"Hi, Joyce," he said with a wave. "Long time no see."

"Oh, far too long," she said, the words constricting in her throat. "I've missed you both so much. How are you?" Flustered, she swiped her hands below her eyes.

"Oh god, don't cry! You know that I'll cry too!" Vanessa pleaded, her lip already quivering. Max placed a hand on Joyce's shoulder, her heart twisting with the warmth of reunion. Suddenly feeling a hand on her own shoulder, she turned to see Chloe nodding away from the laptop. Max excused herself and followed the punk away.

"Hey, let's let them catch up without us interfering. We can go bother David," Chloe said.

"Poke the sleeping lion! Sounds like fun!" Max chirped back, happily following her out of the room.

* * *

The girls arrived downstairs to see David using his foot to slide a present under the tree, locking it into to fit like a puzzle piece. He placed his hands on his waist and looked the tree up and down, giving a proud nod at his handiwork.

"Looks great," Max said, taking a spot next to him. She giggled. "God, I seriously love that smell." David offered her a smile with a small nod.

"I do too. Nothing like a fresh tree once you get all the spiders cleared out of it." Max pulled her face away from the tree in fear.

_What._

"You're...joking," she said, cringing. David began to speak, then thought better of it.

"Yes, just a bad joke," he said, though his acting was failing him. "No spiders."

_Well, I appreciate the attempt at lying, anyway._

"Hey!" Chloe called, appearing from the kitchen with a small stack of gingerbread men in her hands. "How come the star isn't on it?"

"Figured one of you two should put it on," David replied. He took on a confused expression and shrugged. "I don't know. That sounds like something that makes sense, right?"

"Well, Chloe is a giant so I guess it should be her," Max laughed, watching as the blue haired girl shoveled a cookie into her mouth. She stared at the tree for a moment, then shook her head.

"Nah," she said after struggling to swallow, "you should do it. You are the light of my life, after all." She immediately gained an open-mouthed smile and wiggled her eyebrows, looking back and forth between David and Max. They both groaned in unison. "Oh come on, it was cute!"

"It was terrible," Max replied, picking up the star from the table. She turned it over in her hands. "Do you have a step stool?" She asked David.

"Dude, no need," Chloe interjected, wrapping her arms around Max's waist and hoisting her into the air. With a quiet chuckle, David sat on the edge of the table and crossed his arms.

"Jesus, will you stop being so wiggly?" Max demanded as her hand swung by the tip of the tree several times. After she finally managed to settle the star on top, Chloe spun around, took a step and dumped Max over the back of the couch. David meanwhile connected the remaining wires so the star lit up bright.

"Now that is Christmas," he said, once again nodding. He looked around for a moment. "Where's your mother?"

"Talking to Max's parents on Skype. If they've gotten past the screaming, that is," Chloe responded. "Thought it'd be a nice surprise for her."

"Oh." David took a seat next to Max on the couch. "Were you parents close before you had to move away?"

"Yeah," Max said. "I guess I always kind of forget that they were friends too. It wasn't...easy on them, either." Chloe draped herself over the back of the couch between David and Max.

"You know, for a while I think they were forcing a friendship between us just so they had an excuse to hang out." The punk chuckled, changing her tone to something parental. "Now, you kids go have fun while we play Uno because we are adults!"

"I'm sure your parents must be great people to raise a daughter like you," David said to Max.

_Aw, I like when David gets all compliment-y._

"They're great," she said. "I'm sure you'll get to meet them soon enough!"

"Great," he chuckled with a tint of nervousness. "More people to impress."

* * *

"Maximus, guess what my favorite AC/DC song is," Chloe snickered, shuffling her bright red socks across the rug as she inched closer to Max. The girl looked ahead at the wall, resigning herself to her fate.

"You're like a child," Max said, still staring ahead of her. She could feel the punk get close behind her.

"Incorrect! It's Thunderstruck!" She shouted, touching her index finger to her girlfriend's shoulder, summoning a visible shock of static electricity. Max yelped and clapped a hand over the sting.

"Mom didn't mention that these things doubled as low grade tasers," she complained. She watched as Chloe began to shuffle her feet once again. "Okay, you need to stop before you accidentally give me _more_ superpowers." The blue haired girl ceased at once and looked up in thought.

"Fair point," she said, hopping backward until she was sitting on the bed. "I still can't believe how much shit your parents got me! It's crazy." She picked up the DVD and narrowed her eyes. "Alright, killer, you ready to undertake this challenge with me?" Max snorted as she got up from the desk.

"Babe, I can promise you're not going to think it's scary. But yeah, I think I could go for some cinematic snuggles." She sat down next to her, placing a soft kiss on the punk's cheek.

"Sweet!" Chloe cheered, leaning off the bed to get her own laptop. "You'll hold my hand when I get all afwaid, right?"

"Am I not allowed to hold your hand any other time? This seems like a bad deal, dude," Max laughed, scooting back further onto the bed. Chloe seemed to ignore her for a moment as she set the movie up. Without a word, she placed the laptop by their feet as she shifted herself to be next to Max.

"I'm just like..." She said, not looking anywhere in particular. "I'm just so mad that you have me replacing R's with W's unironically. I'm so mad."

"Aww," Max giggled, flipping onto her side to cuddle the blue haired girl. "It could be worse. You could be switching out L's and W's. That's the point of no return." Chloe exhaled a small laugh as Max brought their lips together, slowing down time to relish each others' touch. They broke the kiss when the score of the movie picked up, turning their attention to the small screen. "Hey," Max whispered, continuing to look at the screen, "I wove you."

"You're such a wittle bitch," Chloe shot back immediately, as if she had it waiting on her tongue.

* * *

"You cannot be fucking serious," Chloe said as the credits began to roll, her voice louder than she had probably meant. "It's _just_ a crocodile!? The whole time!? I thought it like...turned into a Godzilla monster or some shit. Just fucking leave the area, people!"

"Wait, _what_?" Max began to laugh. "You thought it transformed into a kaiju?! What is the matter with you?"

"It's _just_ a crocodile!" She shouted. Max nodded at her like 'duh.' "Man, your pops was right. That movie does suck."

"Go figure," Max giggled, falling back onto the sheets. "Look at you overcoming your fears! I'm so proud of you!" She let go of a small yawn. "What time is it?"

"It is..." Chloe took the movie off full screen. "Oh shit, it's 12:36!" She turned back around to Max and jumped on top of her. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Chlo," Max replied in a soft voice, stroking her fingers through the girl's hair. She laughed quietly. "Remember being little and just going to sleep as soon as possible so we could wake up and get presents?"

"Uh huh, I do," Chloe said with a bit of slyness. "But what would you say to just one present before we go to sleep?"

_Shit, what!? But I still don't have it all clear in my head! I have to..._

"Come on, baby," Chloe purred, derailing that train of thought. She lifted herself so she was straddling the smaller girl and gripped the bottom of her shirt. Max watched on in amazement. She lifted her shirt a bit higher, exposing her stomach. The punk rolled her eyes playfully. "You gonna make your present unwrap itself? Really?"

_Ooooh! Okay, I'm totally cool with this._

"So I guess this means I've been nice this year?" Max asked in her best devious voice, though it still felt a bit unnatural to her. She sat up, keeping Chloe in her lap, and pulled the punk's shirt over her head. She immediately threaded two fingers under the black bra hovering just in front of her face.

"I really want to make a naughty joke back, but..." Chloe laughed, though she shuddered when she felt Max's lips on her chest. "But, uh, I can't think of a way to pull it off."

"You know," Max said, leaning back to regard her with sincerity. "That's okay, Chlo. You can't always be the joke master. I'll just focus on pulling other things off." Her hands skittered along the blue haired girl's spine until they found the clasp of her bra. Chloe let out a 'ha!'

"I totally set that up for you."

"Uh huh, whatever," Max said, feigning disinterest. "You're kinda snarky for a present." She was abruptly slammed back into the mattress, Chloe looming over her as the bra slid down her arms, landing on Max's chest. She lowered herself to Max's ear.

"Then shut me up," she breathed, tracing her tongue along Max's earlobe.

_Wowser. Best. Christmas. Ever._


	39. Blue Christmas, In The Good Way

Something wet was dragged across Max's cheek, bringing the girl to consciousness. She cringed at the sensation and instinctively tried to yank the covers over her head, though something prevented her from being able to. Eyes still closed, she let the rest of her face relax as one hand searched beside her, finally finding someone's abdomen. She gently patted the person's stomach twice.

"Did you lick me?" She asked, her voice creaky and weak.

"To which time are you referring?" Chloe's voice answered back, though it was muffled. Max shifted her head to the side and barely opened her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure the answer is yes for all the other times," she managed with a small snicker. She watched Chloe situate the candy cane in her mouth, the sound of it clinking against her teeth seeming very loud in the quiet of the room. "Can I have some?" She asked, snaking one hand lazily into the air. Chloe removed it from her mouth and hung the crook on Max's index finger.

"Yes, I licked you, by the way," the punk said, flopping down next to the girl. "I've been up for like an hour and a half, dude. How can you even sleep? It's..." Her eyes got wide with wonder. "It's fuckin' Christmas!" Max's eyes drooped back shut as she placed the candy cane between her teeth.

"This Christmas, I would like more sleep, Santa," she mumbled quietly.

"Well, that's kind of a fuckin' tragedy because no dice, sista," Chloe laughed, bracing the cold bottoms of her feet against the brunette's bare thigh. She shrieked and sat up, almost losing the candy cane in the process.

"You're so evil," she complained, pulling the blanket up over her like a robe. "Like the Grinch but blue instead of green."

"Uh huh," Chloe chuckled, rolling onto her back. "That's why all I got you for Christmas was like five oceans worth of caviar." Her face immediately shifted into something more contemplative, then sad as Max simply wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"Why caviar?" She asked with the small hint of a laugh. Chloe puckered her lips in thought, then sat up.

"You never, like..." She blew air through her lips. "You never told me you went to San Francisco. You won that competition... You _made_ it." She took a frustrated breath, her hand tensing like a claw. "Why didn't you tell me that? Why didn't you _keep_ that?"

_Shit. I was hoping the dreams were over...I was hoping._

"Chloe," Max said, though her tone was more assertive, "you know damned well why I didn't keep it. You _saw_ why I didn't keep it. You..." She gestured grandly as she looked around them. "You can see _now_ why I didn't keep it!" She sighed and put her face in her hand. "Are you really mad that I didn't tell you?"

"I gave you my candy cane, I'm obviously not mad," the punk responded. "I just...fuck, man. _Fuck_. You had it! You had everything you wanted! You were getting recognized for your photography and it was all going so fucking well until you had to save my ass _again_!" Max only blinked at her slowly.

"You _are_ everything I want, Chloe," she said. She took the girl's hand into her lap. "I know these dreams are hard for you. I know that. But we've gone over this. I wouldn't do anything differently." She traced her fingers along the back of Chloe's hand. "Why didn't you wake me up as soon as you had the dream?"

"I don't know," she offered back with a small shrug. "You look so cute when you're all bundled up and asleep. And I guess I went back and forth between trying to completely ignore it or trying to really think about it. I just can't believe it, you gave that all up for me." Her voice was quiet, filtered through awe.

_Damn these dreams. They take her on such a guilt trip. Why does she get them!? Okay, Max. Time to make your girl smile._

"Well," Max said, holding her hands in the air, "I don't know what to tell you, man. You're hella tripping if you're still amazed by all that. It's old news." She balanced the candy cane on a small box next to the bed and brought a fist to her mouth to pantomime a microphone. "This just in...girl still surprised her girlfriend would do anything and everything for her." Chloe shot her a sarcastic look and slapped her hand, as if stealing the microphone.

"Update on our last story," she said, getting to her knees. "Girl has had to work out a lot of abandonment issues, so give her a fuckin' break. Also girlfriend deserves to be in every gallery in San Francisco." Max rolled her eyes, but Chloe waved her hand, then pressed two fingers to her ear. "Correction, I'm now being told that not only should all of her photos be in every gallery in San Francisco, but that they should be in every gallery in the universe!"

_Chloe, you are such a dork._

"Give that back," Max snipped, hitting Chloe's fist before bringing hers to her mouth. "Breaking news, our previous anchor is flattering piece of trash. It doesn't – hey!" Max squealed as Chloe pulled her down on top of her, attacking her neck with her teeth. "Oooh, this isn't good for live television," she murmured happily. Grinning, she tried to continue. "It doesn't matter where her photographs are being held, the girlfriend in this story only wants to be where the girl is. She would choose her..." she snickered, breaking character, " _baby_ over the San Francisco Bay any day! In fact, go fuck yourself, San Francisco!" She began to laugh, causing Chloe to do the same.

"Thanks, Ron," the blue haired girl muttered into her neck. After the laughter had slowed and Max had gotten more comfortable on top of Chloe, the punk exhaled playfully. "Baby over the San Francisco Bay. How disgustingly cute." She let out a proud 'ha!' "Or like how Courtney says it, all hip you know? Bae over bay. I'd wear that on a fuckin' shirt."

"I dunno," Max chuckled, "I don't think it'd catch on."

* * *

"We have arisen," Chloe declared as she skipped the last few steps, instead electing to jump and send a loud rumble through the house. Max wasn't as daring.

"Merry Christmas, girls!" Joyce greeted from the kitchen, masterfully working a small breakfast into existence while also prepping dinner for later. David stood with her, leaning against the counter. The smile on his face was finally becoming a more common sight, though the amount of sincerity it held still managed to make Max thank her lucky stars for the way everything played out. Joyce dropped what she was doing and opened her arms, with Chloe throwing herself into them with enthusiasm. David popped straight onto his feet and held his arms out for Max.

_Oooh, David hugs! Rare but comfy._

"Merry Christmas, you two," he said as he embraced Max. Both girls responded with their own holiday greeting before switching hug recipients. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, now crushing Chloe in a loving death grip.

"Like a bulldog on Xannies," she replied, smiling with a scrunched nose in regret when David rolled his eyes. "Okay, or a log. Whichever one works better for you."

"The second one," he nodded.

"I was just about to pour the batter," Joyce said, her arm still around Max. "Should we eat or do gifts first?"

"Mom," Chloe turned to her, "I eat food _every_ day. But presents are rare!"

"And what about Max?" Her mother asked, though she couldn't help but snicker. "Maybe _she's_ hungry."

_Heh. Joyce is such a badass._

"I can wait a little," Max said, leaning into the woman. Chloe nodded at her, mouthing 'yeah!' excitedly. David snorted and picked his coffee up off the counter, turning to exit the kitchen.

"To the living room, then," he chuckled, followed by the three women.

"You guys first," Chloe insisted, scrambling over to the tree. She dropped to her knees and began to remove some presents from beneath it, sliding them along the floor for Max to collect in a closer pile to Joyce and David, who had each sat at the dining room table.

"Um, here," Max said, holding two sealed envelopes in her hands. "I'm sorry it's not much..." She handed one to both Joyce and David. It still bothered her a little that with her limited funds she was unable to get everyone the sort of gift she thought they deserved. For Joyce and David, she wrote them each a handwritten note expressing how much she was thankful to be welcomed into their life and home so enthusiastically.

_Count my blessings that I've sorta pole-vaulted over the awkward 'earn my girlfriend's parents admiration' thing._

Though she was actually quite confident in her message, she still wanted to add _something_ else and so she got Joyce a gift card for the local grocery store and David one for the convenience store. She even made sure to include that he should use it for gas since the prices were so bad nowadays, and he did seem rather proud of his car (which had only recently been fixed up in this timeline.)

_Practical gifts for practical folks...right?_

"Oh, hon," Joyce said after reading the letter. "This is so sweet. You know you didn't have to get us anything." She held her arms out again when Max stood up and brought her into a tight hug. "Love you, kiddo," she whispered into her ear, creating a great desire in Max to not let go. David seemed to be having a harder time keeping a straight face, presumably from Max's mentioning of the bathroom incident. She swooped in quickly to give him another hug, getting a quiet 'thank you' from the man.

_I like how we all just cry all the time now like it's part of our daily routine. We're such sentimental weirdos._

"You are ridiculous," Chloe laughed, setting some gifts on the table in front of David. When he managed to conjure the closest thing that would suffice as a pout, she laughed even more. "It's not a bad thing, dude. I like it." She tapped one of the presents. "Open 'em up." She turned away and handed another envelope and a small box to her mother. David pulled one of the gifts near him and immediately narrowed his eyes. His suspicions were confirmed when a soft jingle could be heard.

"I'm not even going to ask how," he said, shaking his head as he plunged a finger through the top of the wrapping paper. He dragged it along, undressing the six pack of beer, keeping his eyes on Joyce the entire time as if prepared for a lecture. For her part, Joyce simply closed her eyes and sighed. He plucked one bottle out and examined it, puffing out his bottom lip as a show of being impressed. Setting it down, he moved on to the next gift, unwrapping a plain white mug. He exhaled through his nose and looked at Chloe with confusion.

"It's a two part-er," she said, pointing at a small, thin present. Without a word, he went to that one and found a black sharpie. With a grin, the punk snagged it from his hands and picked up the mug. "You know those like," she bit the cap off the marker, "super cheesy mugs?" She spat out the lid and began writing on it, her tongue lazily drooping through her lips as she focused. After a moment, she faced it toward David triumphantly, showing the words 'World's Best Dadvid.' "Ta da!" She burst into laughter. "It's like a dry erase board? I'll just...write on it again when it washes off? Okay, it kind of sucks." He took it from her and nodded.

"I love it," he said.

"You're pretty hard to buy for," she said, plopping a hand on her waist. "So, I figured I'd also take you out to lunch someday when you're not busy. So we can..." She stuck her tongue out and pointed her index finger at the back of her throat, "bond or whatever." She turned to her mother when she heard a quiet but excited 'oooh' as Joyce looked over the certificate for a massage parlor. "Oh yeah, I _know_ you need that," the girl snickered. "I'm always sore now from the diner and you work like way more than me. And you wear heels! Which, by the way, you're a crazy person!" As she said this, she backed up into Max, wrapping her arms around the girl. The exchange for her parents ended with a nice pair of earrings that Chloe insisted weren't that great, in spite of Joyce being unable to contain her excitement.

After that, it was time for the girls. Max wasn't really expecting much of anything, but Joyce pulled a 'mom move' as she said and bought plenty of clothes for the girl due to a sale at the nearest store. The brunette would have been thankful regardless, but she was actually a bit impressed with how much the style appealed to her, completely fitting in with her usual attire.

"I pay attention," Joyce said with a smirk when Max had voiced this to her. To her surprise, she also received another gift from Joyce – a framed picture of her and Chloe as kids, maybe six or seven years old, covered in finger paint and smiling fiercely at the camera while the table was buried beneath endless pieces of paper. She adored it, seeing herself and Chloe so young and innocent, but had to tear her eyes away when she started to hear the memory.

_Have to be careful. I wonder if she would have given me the pancake photo instead if I hadn't burnt it?_

Among the smattering of other gifts, the biggest surprise came when David cleared his throat, seizing Chloe's attention in a vice.

"So, your mother and I know your truck is pretty banged up," he said. "I don't know the extent of it, but I'm assuming it's outside of my expertise and you have me worried constantly that you are still driving it around. In a few days, I want to take it to the mechanic and get an estimate. If it's under a thousand, we'll cover it. If it's more, we'll meet you halfway." He picked up the mug, the black marker on it already slightly smudged, and took a sip out of it.

_Oh, this is awkward..._

"Uhhh," Chloe stammered out, "that's really sweet of you guys. Like, holy shit, that's amazeballs. But I kinda already got it fixed." Max could see the girl get uncomfortable, anticipating the questioning on just _how_ she managed to do it. But instead, David just breathed a sigh of relief and clutched his chest.

"Oh thank god," he said, exhaling forcefully. "I was so scared it would crap out on you. You saved some money from the Two Whales and took care of it? I'm proud of you, Chloe." The punk's eyes grew wide as she was handed the perfect cover. She briefly glanced at Max, then back at David and nodded.

"That's wonderful but that kind of puts a damper on our big gift," Joyce said, adding a fake pout. She shrugged. "How much was it, sweetie?"

"Um, around three thousand," Chloe said, still tense.

"So, that would be fifteen hundred on us," David replied, looking at Joyce. She nodded at him. "Then...I guess you'll have to figure out what else you want to put the money toward." Chloe tilted her head up at him from her seat on the floor and narrowed her eyes.

_Holy shit._

"Wait, what?" She asked, working her brow. "Are you telling me that I just have fifteen hundred dollars floating in the ether for whatever? That's a lot of scratch, guys. Too much. I can't...take that much." She pointed at the kitchen. "I'll have pancakes instead. Christmas pancakes." Joyce chuckled and leaned forward, extending her hand for Chloe to take.

"We already have most of it set aside, Chloe. It's yours. You don't have to decide now and you can use it in small increments if you'd prefer." The punk nibbled on her lip, giving the tiniest hint of a shake of her head. The room fell quiet for only a moment before Max's stomach gave a wild growl. Joyce tightened her grip on Chloe's hand. "Think about it, okay? It sounds like I need to get those pancakes ready."

"Okay..." Chloe said back quietly, her eyes ignited with thought.

* * *

"And that's the last one," Max said with a sigh as she set her phone on the desk. "I've never had to send so many holiday texts in my life. Why did I decide to get so many friends?" She snickered as she sat down on the bed.

"It's kind of adorable that you think you had a say in the matter," Chloe replied, playfully swinging her leg. "You're a people magnet." She sat up and rapidly smacked her hands on her knees. "Okay, okay, you ready for presents!?"

_Errrrrr no, but okay._

"Sure, babe," Max said. Chloe threw her hands in the air excitedly, then bounced up from the bed. She skated over to the closet and opened it, wildly flinging clothes out of the way. Max took the opportunity to climb across the bed to remove Chloe's presents from her overnight bag. She had a flicker of a frown as she examined the jovial wrapping paper.

_Get over yourself, Max. She'll like them._

"I'm so dumb," she giggled. "All nervous that you're going to hate the stuff I got you." She turned back to Chloe, who was adding several more presents to what Max considered a rather extravagant pile. Her eyes bulged. "Dude, what the _fuck_?" The punk looked up at her with a grin.

"I made you a Christmas!" She said, holding her arms out.

"That is _way_ too much stuff!" Max whined, hugging the presents in her arms to her chest. "What the hell, man?"

"Oh, come on," the blue haired girl rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. "It's our first Christmas back together, I have an entirely disposable income _and_ you deserve all the presents ever." She stuck her tongue out cockily, though her eyes quickly darted to the presents in Max's hands. "Hey, wait..." She furrowed her brow. "That looks a lot like more than photos." Her lips puckered as she looked back down at the pile she had created, then back at the girl. "I will kick your ass with my _hand_ if you spent a lot of money on me."

_That's just spanking, you doof._

"Don't threaten me with a good time," Max chuckled, opening her arms and letting the presents spill into her lap. "Well, as I feared but ultimately expected, you got me way more stuff than I got you." She straightened her legs, spreading her toes a little as she nodded to herself. "Who goes first?" Chloe sat on the bed, thinking for only a moment before she handed a very bottle-shaped present to Max.

"You'll never guess what it is," the blue haired girl laughed. "Also don't...drop it." Max held it in her hands, smiling.

_I am become wino, destroyer of grapes._

"Did you..." She began as she plucked the paper off, "get this the same time you picked up David's present?"

"Courtesy of my delivery boy, Mr. Bowers," Chloe nodded with teeth showing. "You have to share this one, by the way."

"If I feel like it," Max shot back, finally revealing the expected bottle of wine. She held it up victoriously and wiggled her hips. "This is for tonight." Chloe shifted herself so she was lying on her side, watching Max with a smile.

"Sounds like a deal to me. Since Blackwell's a total ghost town, you can get all white girl wasted without disturbing anyone." She cackled when Max twitched her foot at the girl in defiance. The brunette nibbled her lip, then sighed as she handed a rectangular gift to her girlfriend.

_Welp._

"Here, smartass," she said. Chloe blew a kiss, then turned her attention to the gift. She slid one finger into the fold and pried it open, then chuckled.

"You're so much better at wrapping than me!" Her eyes narrowed. "Eh, presents, anyway..." With a surprising carefulness, she removed the paper without a single tear. She seemed confused as she read the box, then her eyes went wide. "Holy shit, _what_?" She sat up and examined it more closely. "This is the fucking magic Gameboy that Warren has!"

"They're not called Gameboys anymore," Max said snidely, laughing when Chloe shot her a look. "Is that like...cool or is it stupid?" She drummed her fingers on her thigh. "I have to admit it _is_ used. Like refurbished." Her voice got quieter. "I got the blue one..."

"Of course this is cool!" Chloe shouted, staring at Max with a look of bewilderment. "It's fucking hella cool! I can't believe you bought this!" Almost absentmindedly, her fingers began sneaking along the edges of the box. "How much did this cost?"

_Nice try, but nope._

"Like I'd tell you," Max said, rolling her eyes. "But you like it?" She giggled at the punk's nonverbal answer, having it out of the box and plastic, already turning it over in her hands.

"I love it," she said. As if it were a struggle, she pulled her attention away just enough to grab a smaller present and toss it to Max. "I mean, that sucks in comparison to this." Snorting, Max unwrapped it to find a small bag of guitar picks.

"Oh! I needed more!" Max said happily. "This is such a good practical gift." Chloe got up from the bed.

"Yeah, some of them are glow in the dark. I thought that was really cool, even though like...who plays guitar in the dark?" She moved toward the desk, carrying the 3DS and charger with her. "Plus, I was like..." She plugged the device in and set it on the desk. "If I buy her something for her guitar, she'll feel guilty and have to play for me." She turned back around and raised her eyebrows. "Smart plan, right?"

_I'm working on it, dude!_

"I promise I'll play for you someday," she said, admiring the gift once more before setting it aside. Chloe seemed to be staying near the desk. "So, I mean..." Max held up the other two wrapped presents. "Did you want your games too or just wanted to play on the settings menu?" Chloe gasped and flailed her hands as she hurried back to the bed. It was such an innocent excitement, evaporating any further feelings of doubt Max had in her gift giving skills.

"I am legit giddy," Chloe admitted, chuckling with a tint of embarrassment. "Here, open that one." She pointed at a flat present, which bent as Max picked it up. With the same carefulness as before, Chloe removed the paper and grew a big smile. "Oh my god, fuckin' Zelda! Hells to the yeah!" She showed the case to Max as if it might also illicit the same amount of excitement.

"Also used," Max said, fiddling with the present in her lap. "The other one is new, though! I wasn't a total cheapskate." She recoiled, smiling when Chloe struck a threatening pose. "Sorry! I just thought you might wonder why there's no plastic on it." Unable to take her eyes off of Chloe, she pulled the paper apart in her lap. She finally looked down to find a flannel, similar to the one she had worn of Rachel's, though this one was a light shade of violet. "Oh, Chloe..." Her voice was breathy as she held it up.

_It's so soft... I'll look so cool in this!_

"Oh, yeah," Chloe said, redirecting her attention to the brunette. "So, I kind of went back and forth on getting that for you." She shrugged when Max offered a confused look. "I'm kind of self-conscious that you might think I'm trying to change your style." She ran her fingers through Max's hair, drawing attention to the pink color. "But they're really warm and it's been hella cold lately. And I kind of like, associate you in a flannel with our first kiss. Oh man, that kiss." She was grinning like an idiot. "I know I played it cool, but I was freaking out inside."

_Except for..._

"Except for the fifth time," Max chuckled, slipping her arm through one of the sleeves. "That time you tried to slip me some tongue and then got really embarrassed. You tripped trying to hide in the covers of your bed and hurt your knee." Chloe stared at her with her jaw slacked open. Max pulled the flannel on and beamed at the punk. "And I don't think you're trying to change me. You just _are_ naturally. But it's good. You're changing too. I love it, Chlo." She wrapped her arms around herself and squirmed in delight.

"Okay cool, because another reason I got it is because you _do_ look sexy as fuck." She held up an index finger. "Wait, sorry, I tried to slip you tongue?" Max burst into laughter.

"Yeah! You turned so red and then fell. So that one had to be rewound." She analyzed the sleeve of the flannel. "But then I just kept doing it because I was really into the whole kissing you thing." She pointed at the girl's hand. "Open your other game, dude."

"Okay..." Chloe started unwrapping it. "I hope to fuck I don't see that in a dream. I'll wake up and throw myself directly out the window." She squealed when the game was visible. "Oh, this is the cute one, right!?"

"Yeah, Warren was adamant that you get that one. He said he wants to catch bugs with you and take you on a tour of his little village." Chloe chuckled, nodding her head. Max's eyes trailed back over to the pile of gifts meant for her. There were still five left – a large rectangle and four flat squares, which gave her that conflicted feeling of excitement and undeserved guilt.

_All I have left for her are the photos... What a bitch, I can't believe she got me so much stuff. And those flat ones are...oh my_ _**god** _ _._

"Chloe..." She said quietly, though loud enough to draw the girl out of her absorption in the game's back cover. "You did _not_ do what I think you did." She pointed at the larger box and turned toward the punk with wide eyes. Chloe's shoulders bunched toward her neck as she smiled guiltily.

"I had to," she said. "Open it." She finally sat back down on the bed, shuffling so she was snug against Max. The brunette breathed out slowly and pulled the box toward her. She clawed through the paper, revealing the same digital vinyl record player she was fawning over at the record store. It made sense as a present and perhaps Max should have even expected it, but still, seeing it in front of her made her mind spin. Not because of what it _was_ but because Chloe had gotten it for her.

"Wowser," she whispered. "This is so sweet." She ran her hand over the box gently.

"I got it literally the day after you saw it. Remember when me and Kate hung out without you?" The punk brought her knees to her chest and rested her cheek on them, watching Max. The brunette squinted at her.

_I can't believe Kate played along with that. Someone's getting a talking to!_

"That's so sneaky!" She shook her head. "Thank you so, so much."

"Fair warning, though. I went as stereotypical as possible for records. You know, to like..." She smiled teasingly, "make sure the indie rock kids don't shun you."

Max worked her way through opening the vinyl records. She took her time after each one to stop, examine it and then talk about what each one meant to her and why they were regarded so highly. Chloe listened dreamily, her eyes broadcasting her continued descent into love for the small girl. Max even worked out which one they would listen to first to christen the player. She collected them in her arms.

"Lifted...Suburbs..." She trailed off, reading the other two in silence. "This really is like the perfect starter kit. You did your research!" Chloe opened her mouth to accept the compliment, but Max cut her off. " _Or_ you're just getting worse at faking your disinterest in pussy banjo strumming."

"How dare you," Chloe asked, acting wounded. She giggled and nodded. "I love Lifted like, a lot." She took a deep breath. "Okay, so! How did I do? On a scale of one to ten." Max grinned at her and set the records to the side.

"Perfect ten out of ten," she said, sliding her arms over Chloe's shoulders as she kissed her. Once it was broken, Max rested their foreheads together. "Thank you so much, baby. You're the best." She added one more quick kiss to the punk's nose, then picked up a small, leather photo album. It was a simplistic black and thin from only having a few photos in it. She sighed. "You asked for five photos..."

_Here we go..._

"I did," Chloe replied quietly, her voice sweet.

"I put them in here and I figured I could sort of...explain them as you look at them?" She shrugged, then handed it to Chloe.

"Sounds good to me, cutie." Chloe gave her a peck on the cheek, bringing a warmth forth in Max's chest. She loved how she could tell Chloe was purposely being sweet and attentive, given that she probably knew Max had put a lot of her heart into the project. She opened to the first page and grew a big smile when she saw the photo of Kate and Warren. "Aw, my babies."

"I figured I'd start with the obvious," Max said. "They were really kind of my only two friends before everything went down. And it's so hard to explain, but you have no idea just how... _nice_ it felt that you became so close with them so quickly. It was kind of the first big thing that made me believe everything was okay, you know? That everything ended up how it was supposed to be." She touched her finger to the photo, protected beneath a plastic sheet in the book. "Even if neither of them remember it, they both helped bring us together so much. We wouldn't be here without them. Literally." The sound of Chloe clearing her throat made Max look up. She was smiling, but her eyes were glistening.

"You know, I thought it was a possibility that this might make me cry, but I didn't expect the first fucking one to do it." She shook her head. "You have turned me into just the mushiest pile of gunk."

"You're _my_ mushy pile of gunk, though," Max replied. Chloe nodded like 'true' and stared at the photo for a moment longer before turning the page. Her head tilted in an automatic sign of confusion as the photo was just a top down shot of the stain on her living room carpet. It was admittedly not a particularly visually appealing photograph. Max chuckled. "I really like this one," she said. "I don't know about you, but I remember when we spilled that wine like it was yesterday. I was _so_ scared."

_Soooo fucking scared._

"I do remember it," Chloe said with a small laugh. "And of course, my mom was mad and my dad talked her out of her anger in no time flat. We were such little brats. And clumsy."

"Which kind of brings me to my next point," Max said with a sly smile. " _Someone_ I know has a pretty bad habit of spilling wine and other alcohol even to this very day." Chloe's eyes drifted from the photo up to meet Max's. "Sometimes I really can't tell how much you plan things out," she admitted. "You spill on yourself...the clothes have to come off, of course." Chloe smiled bashfully. "This probably sounds silly, but you were _so_ patient with me... I know it took a long time before we could... _yanno_ , but you never pressured me. Like duh, getting a lapdance or watching you..." she flailed her hands, " _yanno_ , was really sexy and all that, but it also made me feel closer to you. Even when I hated myself for not being able to make love, your horny ass came up with ways around it. No pressure, no judgment. Just...you." Chloe's eyes were enormous, gazing back into hers. There was an audible swallowing sound. Max giggled and took the punk's hand. "You going to make it?"

_Two for two, alright._

"It's up in the air," Chloe answered, her voice constricted. "I would have waited a million years if you needed me to." Her grip on Max's hand tightened, then she turned the page. "Snow angels?" She asked.

"Mmn..." Max tapped her index finger against her lips. "I don't know, I think that one has a prehensile tail and horns." She laughed, kissing Chloe's hand. "That's from when you tackled me when we were tree hunting!" Chloe made a noise of realization.

"It's so cool looking, the snow looks so bright," she said.

"Uh huh!" Max blew her through her lips. "Okay, this one is pretty cheesy, to be honest. It's just kind of the image of our shapes or _us_ fitting so nicely together." She cringed and shrugged. "It just makes _sense_. Everything about you and us makes sense. I love the idea of us doing things like going Christmas tree shopping or deciding what color to paint the kitchen or even just going to get groceries together. Seriously, just imagining our future – that I even _can_ imagine our future after everything that happened – is like fucking crack to me." She laughed. "I crave those moments, the little things that people take for granted. And, um, like you probably don't remember, obviously, but you mentioned that Robert Frost poem." Her eyes angled upward as she ran through it in her mind. "But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep..."

"I like that line a lot," Chloe said.

"Me too. And like I said this morning and probably a bajillion times in the past few months, there's _nothing_ I would change about what happened that week if it meant we'd be here right now." Chloe's lip quivered, and Max could tell by the flicker in her eyes she was thinking of the Dark Room. Max issued a gentle squeeze to her hand, calming the girl. Max let go of an embarrassed chuckle. "Can you tell I practiced this in my head over and over?"

"A little," Chloe admitted. "I love it." She flipped the page and voiced a tiny 'ooooh' at the photo of the sunset, shimmering off the waves of the bay. The sky was drenched in a lavish golden color. "This is an amazing shot, so pretty... This is that thing, right? What do photographers call it?" Max felt a spear of sadness in her stomach.

_Chloe...god, I hope you never see that one. You can't see that one..._

"The golden hour..." She banished the image of a helpless and small Chloe tethered to a wheelchair from her mind. "Okay," she sighed. "So, give or take a few feet...this is where we were when I woke up from warning you about the party. It's so calm here but that's where the storm was..." She slouched a little and gave Chloe an irritated look. "You actually said you wouldn't blame if I wanted you out of my life, do you remember that?" The punk rocked her head side to side to insinuate a 'sorta.' "So ridiculous. I just remember thinking, what would be the point? I spent five years without you and I never realized just how much that hurt until I saw you again. I remember thinking you were totally out of your fucking mind for even saying such a thing."

"Well," Chloe chuckled, "I've been known to be a little cra-"

"And then..." Max's voice got quiet as it cut her off. "And then that's what I chose. I had my nightmare and then, you just asked me...begged me to go back and I wasn't strong enough to say no."

"Hey," Chloe said, tugging Max's hand so the girl would look at her. "You _just_ told me that you didn't regret a single thing about that week. For all we know, that's what was supposed to happen. I mean, what if you had said no? Where would we be right now?"

_I...didn't even notice the hypocrisy there._

"Together," Max said. She waved her other hand. "I got sidetracked, this wasn't even supposed to be sad. More like...that's what it looks like _now_. After we fixed everything. When I look at that photo, I can almost see the storm overlayed on top of it perfectly. Like seeing into two different worlds." She growled a little in playful frustration. "You ruined my joke, by the way. This was all supposed to culminate in a cheesy 'every hour with you is golden' zinger." Chloe let out a loud 'ha!'

"Cheesy, but very true," she said with a nod. "Okay, let's see the last one..." She gave Max a warm smile as she turned the page, but it dropped right off of her face when she saw the photo. The one of David at William's grave. Several half choked sounds escaped from Chloe's throat as she futilely attempted to speak. She let go of Max's hand and picked the book up, holding it closer to her face.

"That's the one I took when we were at the cemetery," Max said, though she knew it was obvious. "I don't really..." She shook her head, "have anything clever to say about it. I just knew it would mean something to you." Chloe's body subtly writhed back and forth a few times before she finally let out a sob, crushing the photo album against her chest in a hug.

"Oh my god," she cried, heaving with tears. Max only watched her, knowing they were ones of happiness rather than sadness. "This is perfect," she barely managed to say as she looked down at the photo again. She stared at it in silence for two or three minutes, the quietness in the air feeling fresh and healing. "It's like a perfect circle," she finally said. "I don't know how to explain it." She looked up at Max, then threw her arms around her. "Thank you. Thank you."

"Um, there's actually one more..." Max said quietly, careful not to break the mood Chloe was in. "A super secret sixth photo." The punk pulled away and looked at her, then back down to flip to the next photo. The way her fingers twitched as they dipped beneath the page to turn it, showing that hint of hesitation to do so, made Max feel quite accomplished. When the page was finally turned, the was a small sigh of admiration, and possibly relief, as Chloe smiled.

"Aw, it's you..." She said. The photo was of Max, holding the camera about chest level as she looked in the mirror. She had a tiny smile that seemed to say a million things. The brunette watched the girl with loving eyes, noticing how even after the emotional slog of the previous five photographs, she still seemed so enraptured in what was essentially just a selfie. "You're so cute."

_Sorry babe, but I have an explanation for this one too..._

"So..." Max began, her voice lilting suspiciously. "You wanted me to take five photographs that were about how I saw things, right? Finding the special, magical meaning in things that might seem normal or..." She briefly flipped back to the photo of the stain, "even boring." The blue haired girl gave a small nod. "Well, I'm not the only one with that skill, you know..." She got onto her knees. "So, I wanted to include something that I didn't think much of until you explained the beauty you saw." Chloe exhaled a quick breath as she closed her eyes, her brows crinkling as a warning for tears.

"Stop being so perfect," she whispered in a sincere and desperate whine.

"Yeah, stuff like that," Max replied with a low, playful giggle. She shuffled around the book and sat beside Chloe, snaking one arm around her waist. "I..." She shrugged, her eyes faraway but aimed at the photo. "I've never felt special. I don't even know that I felt special when I could _reverse time_." The vague plan of words in her head became foggier as she watched Chloe tenderly touch her fingers to the photo and stroke downward. Her heart began to beat faster. "But the way you look at me..."

"Like a fucking crazy person," the punk said as she nodded in admittance, her voice high pitched and fluctuating. She shifted her legs, sucking her knees to her chest. She extended her index finger and tapped the photo. "You're so pretty." Max snorted quietly and laid her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"That night you had the bad dream and you came over, you made me look into the mirror." Without realizing it, Max's hand slipped beneath Chloe's shirt, her fingers spreading across the girl's flesh until they found the scar tissue. The difference in skin texture shot bolts of electricity through Max. "And, uh..." The words were fading away from her, the closeness of Chloe's body forcing them out of her mind. "And you could just see in your eyes that..." She tilted her head to see Chloe was looking down at her, no longer actively crying but her gaze intense. The look gave her butterflies, a feeling she thought she had outgrown by now. She gulped, aware that her fingers were now creeping further up Chloe's ribs, the girl's shirt rising as it snagged on her wrist. Her breathing hitched as Chloe's hand found the soft part beneath her jaw. The punk began to turn toward her slowly, as if afraid to break the charm, their eyes never leaving each others'.

"Dude," Chloe said in a voice so quiet Max almost didn't hear her. "Fuck San Franciso." And Chloe pounced on top of her, melting into a kiss as the wrapping paper fluffed up around them.

* * *

Max couldn't keep her eyes off of Chloe's, who couldn't keep _hers_ from the mug sitting next to David's plate. The writing was even more smudged than earlier, but he still insisted on using it while everyone else had nice wine glasses. Joyce was busy transferring food from the kitchen to the table, but David leaned back in his chair and looked at Max.

"I like your flannel," he said.

"I look cool, right?" She asked, flashing him a smile.

"Very," he nodded. He placed his palms on the table and gave a big, exaggerated sniff. "Joyce, it smells amazing."

"It better," she said with her dry, Southern sarcasm. "I just about had to take a lady out at the supermarket for this ham." Chloe finally turned away to beam at her mother.

"Badass! I bet you could kick the shit out of all the other moms in Arcadia Bay." She wriggled her fingers, then reached out to spoon some food onto her plate.

"Mom Fight Club," Max suggested, pointing her fork at the punk. Chloe clapped and nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, exactly!" She balled her hand into a fist. "Do you want to destroy something beautiful, Mom?" Joyce rolled her eyes as she finally sat down, unfolding the napkin and placing it in her lap.

"No, but I'd like if you 'destroyed' this meal I worked so hard on," she shot back. The blue haired girl put her hands up in defense and began to eat. They exchanged comfortable small talk throughout the meal, laughing and relishing each others company. When it came time for dessert, Max dramatically thrust her head into her hands.

"Oh my gosh, Joyce, do you want me to explode?" She reached a hand out toward the pie she could see on the counter in the kitchen. "Why don't I have more stomach?" Joyce giggled, smitten that she had done her job.

_Cows have like four stomachs. I want to be a cow._

"I'll pack some up for you to take back to Blackwell," she said. She thought for a moment. "I do wish you would have said something sooner, Max. You could have stayed here for the break instead of being cooped up at school."

"I don't mind, really. Plus it works out so I can look after Kate's bunny. We should probably leave soon, actually, I already feel kind of bad for leaving her alone so long," Max said.

"Plus, I'll be keeping her company!" Chloe added, giving her mom two thumbs up. Joyce narrowed her eyes and pointed at her.

" _You_ better behave yourself while you're there, daughter of mine." The corner of Joyce's mouth angled up in a smirk since statements like this were no longer gravely serious. But still, she did have to be a mother. "Clear?" Max gulped as Chloe's foot, which had been rubbing against her leg for several minutes, slowly crept higher toward her inner thigh. Chloe made eye contact with her, then offered a wicked smile to her mother.

"Crystal."

* * *

"Here you go, baby," Max cooed as she gave Alice some food. She watched as the rabbit's nose twitched and found herself smiling as she tried to replicate the motion. Behind her, she could hear Chloe talking on the phone.

"Yeah, I have it hooked up to the Blackhell wi-fi," she said. "Oh, I don't know what my code is yet. What's yours?" During a gap of silence, Max turned around to look at Chloe who was only staring back at her with a confused and disgruntled expression, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What the fuck, why is it so long?" Her eyes darted to the side as she reclined back against the pillows, the hand holding the 3DS limply resting over her knee. She nodded slowly. "Okay, well that's stupid and I didn't retain any of that. Just text it to me." She nodded faster. "Uh huh... no, my little character is fucking cute, she kinda looks like Max." As if saying her name issued a Pavlovian response, she looked back toward Max and blew a kiss to her. "Yeah, okay dude. Text me. Merry Christmas again to you too. Later."

"Rocket science?" Max asked with a chuckle, sitting down on the bed. Chloe made a 'pfft' noise and extended her leg against the brunette's shoulder, giving it a push.

"He sorta makes it seem like it..." She looked at her phone after it buzzed and rolled her eyes before showing it to Max. "Look at that big ass number, I think he's giving me his social." She closed the 3DS and set it beside her, sliding her foot off of Max's shoulder and angling it toward the cage in the corner. "Was she hungry?"

"Didn't really ask," Max replied with more laughter. She flopped onto her back, with Chloe immediately taking advantage and resting her legs across the girl's stomach. In response, Max wrapped her arms over them as if they were the bars on a roller coaster. "I didn't see anyone else on campus. It really might just be you, me and Alice."

_Down went Max and Chloe after it..._

"For a _month_ ," Chloe added with big eyes. "This is so cool! It's like we just have a really big estate but can only really stay in one room." She scooted her butt down a little. "It's like practice for February when we basically have a _house_ for like a week! How fucking cool is that!?" She was referring of course to David's gift to Joyce – a ten day cruise through Alaska. Later on in the day Chloe would postulate that David may have paid for a fair amount of it with Prescott money from his brief dealings with them. Max thought this might make her angry, but instead the girl thought it was a perfect 'fuck you' to the family.

_We can pretend to be adults with our lives together!_

"I do wish my bed was as big as yours though," Max grumbled. "I like having more real estate for cuddling."

"You're just being greedy," Chloe responded. "You know they could pack us in can like sardines and you'd complain about not being able to get closer."

"Who are 'they' in this scenario?" Max asked, arching an eyebrow.

"It's a hypothetical 'they,' dude," the punk said back.

"Uh _huh_..." Max wriggled from beneath Chloe's legs and scooped up some of her new clothes from Joyce and David. "Well, I'm going to go take a hypothetical shower before we start winding down."

"That doesn't make sense," Chloe huffed. "Unless you mean you want me to come with...?" Max tilted her head in thought, prompting a gigantic smile from the blue haired girl.

"Maybe not on the very first night," she said, swapping the girl's smile with a pout. "That sounds more like a night three or four kind of endeavor."

"Harshin' my mellow," Chloe complained. She pointed at Max. "Okay, fine, but what night can we sneak back into the pool? Sounds like a 'ten' kind of situation, right?"

_Sneak BACK into the pool!? Are you out of your...well, hmmm...that would be fun and we ARE cool with David now..._

"Put a pin in it, we'll get into the nitty gritty later," she said, prompting a sleazy nod from the punk. She rested her hand on the doorknob. "While I'm in there, can you set up my player?" Chloe lifted her feet in the air and brought them down hard in a mock tantrum.

" _Fiiiine_ ," she groaned. "But only because you're my favorite."

* * *

The hallway was eerily silent as Max made her way back to her room. She found herself actually feeling a bit uneasy, so with a bit of embarrassment, she picked up her pace. She opened the door to find Chloe pouring some of her wine into a cup, though she seemed to be struggling as she was cradling Lisa in one arm.

_What in the world...?_

"Um?" Max said as she gently closed the door behind her. Chloe looked up and grinned at her.

"You said we could drink some tonight!" She shook the bottle by the neck.

"You might be amazed to hear this, but that's not why I'm confused." Max discarded her dirty clothes into her hamper and approached her girlfriend. "What are you doing with my plant?"

"Oh, duh, yeah," Chloe said. She set the bottle down and hoisted Lisa over her head. "It's like a mistletoe!" Max looked up at the bottom of the pot and giggled.

"It is _not_ like a mistletoe but okay, I see your game." Slowly and with a bit of swagger, she closed in on Chloe, letting her hands find the girl's waist. The punk grunted.

"Please just kiss me, this thing is surprisingly heavy. The fuck do you water it with? Cement?" Her arms began to tremble slightly, forcing Max to swoop in and press their lips together. With a sigh of relief, she set Lisa back down.

"Have I ever told you that you're a goober?" Max asked, picking up one of the cups of wine.

"I think it's come up in conversation," Chloe replied casually, taking her own cup. She held it out to Max, who cheerily bopped hers against it. As she was drinking, her eyes went wide and she began to flail her hand. "What?"

"We need to play music!" She said after an audible swallow, shuffling over to the record player. With chaotic excitement, she slipped the record from its sleeve and placed it on the player. After a moment of fussing with it, the music came to life. She spun back around to Chloe, grinning in amazement. "Transatlanticism is the perfect first album to play!"

"I think I agree," Chloe said, starting to slowly move her hips, holding the cup up higher.

_Note to self: find the secret to being able to dance to literally any kind of music. How does she do that?_

"Thank you again," Max said, stepping closer to the blue haired girl. "You went so above and beyond. I can't wait to start a real record collection! This is the merriest Christmas!"

"You made me _cry_ , so I mean, hey," Chloe replied, the snarky look on her face clashing with the seductive sway of her hips. In response, Max moved forward and stole a kiss.

"I'm just happy you liked your photos," she said. "I was totally stressing about them." Chloe gave a look of empathy.

"I told you there was no reason for you to stress, you know I would love anything you gave me. Though, holy shit, you sure did swing for the fences." She stopped dancing and looked at the girl, hosting a devious look that sloughed off into sincere adoration. "I love you, Max."

"I love you too," she said back. Then, without really thinking about what she was doing, she pulled the bottom of Chloe's shirt toward her, stretching it out between them. She looked into her burning blue eyes as she poured just a small amount of wine onto the shirt. "Oops?" She offered with obvious insincerity. The punk gasped.

"I _cannot_ believe you just did that!" She started to laugh, pressing a hand against the wet spot. "Oh man, why was that so hot? That was so hot..." She furrowed her brow like she was confused at her own feelings.

"Well," Max held her hands out in a cartoonish shrug, "where the night goes from here, nobody knows!"

"You say that, but..." Chloe slid away and plucked a shirt from Max's wardrobe, then came back and draped it over Alice's cage so that rabbit could not be seen. "I think I actually do know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sup?
> 
> Well, I should probably address the starving, near death elephant in the room - I apologize for the huge wait for this chapter. The truth is, I've just been having a lot of trouble writing lately. I just hope that's not TOO evident in this chapter.
> 
> Speaking of this chapter - hey! We're finally pretty much done the Christmas arc. That was a long one, eh? This chapter itself is pretty long, but I actually cut it down quite a lot (originally had both of Max's letters to Joyce and David, etc.) I hope you guys enjoyed it and that it was worth the totally unnecessary wait. PROMISE the next chapter will out much faster!
> 
> In other news, I started a goofy little side project a while ago - there are Twitter accounts for Ouroboros! You can find them at MaxOuroboros, ChloeOuroboros, KateOuroboros, WarrenOuroboros and...VictoriaOuro! That last one's different! I tricked ya. Basically, it's just meant to be a fun little side thing somewhat akin to the text chapters. Make sure if you're on desktop to click 'Tweets & Replies' so you can see their full conversations with each other. If you don't have a Twitter or just don't like it, no worries! There's never going to be anything "important" to the story mentioned there, so you will only be missing out on silly shenanigans. When I update them is pretty much completely random at this point, but the idea is 'every so often.' Basically whenever I think of stuff for them. 
> 
> Okay, I think that covers about everything? Hoooope the chapter wasn't too bad! I'll see you guys again soon with Ch. 40! It'll be an interesting one, for sure. Thanks for reading and I love you~


	40. Playing It Straight

"Oh, I think that's it!" Max said, pointing through the truck window. She narrowed her eyes. "Or, that... _was_ it." She turned to Chloe, who continued staring at the road but wore a smile as her tongue peeked through her teeth.

"Just want to get some last minute lovin'," she said, pulling over to the shoulder once they were a bit further up the road. "You know, before we have to pretend like I don't want your hands all over me all the time." She put the truck in park. Max nodded and pointed at her.

"That's good thinking, I don't want to go through withdrawal." She unbuckled her seat belt and crawled across the seat, rising up on her knees as she slung her arms around the blue haired girl's neck. "Maybe we could just high five a lot. That's kosher, right?"

"They're not...Jewish, are they?" Chloe asked with a smirk. Max chuckled in response before enveloping the girl in a slow, long kiss.

"You know," she said after pulling away, but staying close enough so they could still feel each others' breath, "I'm kind of surprised you're willing to do this. Act like we're not a thing? I expected more fight." The punk sighed, showing her discontentment.

"Ehh, I'm not really a big fan of it, no," she replied. "But it's a weird situation. I don't want to rock the boat for Kate anymore than we have to. If that means we have to play pretend for a few hours, then fine." She lightly tapped her forehead against Max's. "Plus, I'm not naive. I know there are people out there that still have some...fuckin' stupid beliefs." She smiled. "Pardon my French."

"Right, right," Max snickered, leaning back in. "Speaking of French..."

_This is going to be...difficult. Why did Kate push for this so much?_

After about ten minutes of foggy windows and uncomfortable contact with the steering wheel, the girls found themselves on the front step of the Marsh family home. Nervously (she'd be nervous regardless meeting the parents of someone so important to her,) Max rang the doorbell. They waited a moment until the sound of the lock on the door clicking could be heard, followed by a muted female voice announcing 'Kate, I think your friends are here!' The door opened up, revealing Kate's mother. Already, Max was having a difficult time correlating the frigid wording of the email to such a lovely looking woman. But it became just a _little_ easier when the woman's forehead creased as she analyzed the two presumably questionable looking girls on her doorstep.

_Weird hair color, check. Piercing, check. Bullets around our necks, check. The smell of cigarettes, check. It's going **okay**._

"So, you must be Max and Chloe," she greeted enthusiastically, rearranging the suspicion in her eyes back to warmth.

"I'm Max," the smaller girl said, offering a smile as she held out her hand. The woman took it loosely.

"And I'm the Chloe one," the punk added, rocking back on her heels.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Kate's mother said. "Kate has been going on and on about you two since she's been home!" She turned away from them and slipped to the side. "Please, come in." The girls entered the house and were struck immediately by the cloying scent of lavender, wafting off what seemed to be a structured plan of candles scattered through the home. It was a cozy atmosphere, with twitching light from candle flame reflecting off the polyurethaned wood paneling lining the walls.

"You have a lovely home," Max said, pulling at her bag so it switched from her back hip to her front.

"Thank you," Kate's mother replied, closing her eyes as she smiled. "I try to keep it tidy, anyway." She titled her head curiously as Max searched through her bag.

"Um," Max said, "I thought it would be rude to come over empty handed but I'm not exactly great at baking..." She pulled out a Ziploc bag filled with gingerbread men. "I thought these might suffice? They're kind of cute." She fought every impulse to turn to Chloe and blurt out 'am I doing okay?'

"Aw, how sweet of you!" The woman took the bag from her and held it up. "My youngest can't get enough of gingerbread people, she will love it." Max exhaled a small sigh of relief. Just then, Kate barreled down the stairs, releasing a shriek of joy when she saw her friends.

"Guys!" She ran at them, crashing into Max with an enormous hug. The brunette returned it, gripping the girl tightly in her arms. "Oh, I'm so happy you came!"

_The smile worth freezing time for._

"Of course, Kate," Max replied, releasing her. She moved toward Chloe with her arms out, but the girl struck first, scooping her off the ground in a bear hug.

"I've missed you!" Chloe said, squeezing happily. Kate giggled and wrapped her arms around the taller girl. Max watched on with a grin as her heart began to pool in her stomach. She even caught a glance of Kate's mother smiling at the deep friendship on display. After she was set down, Kate turned to the woman.

"Mom, I'm going to show them my room, okay?" She took Max's hand in her right and Chloe's in her left as she began toward the stairs.

"Okay," her mom said with a laugh. "Your father will be home with your sisters soon. Enjoy the peace while you can!"

* * *

"Sorry it's a bit messy," Kate said, opening the door. Perhaps as one would expect, it was a fair reflection of her room at Blackwell, though the wall was a loud pink as opposed to the neutral tones used in the dormitories. There was spots here and there of barrenness, where something once was that was now in her room at school.

"This is your version of messy?" Chloe asked with a snirk as she looked around. "No empty bottles, no cigarette burns in the rug, no half empty bags of Doritos strewn about..." She held a hand out in explanation. "I don't know, this place is practically squeaking with cleanliness."

"Okay," Kate snickered, "for _me_ it's messy." Max found herself looking over the room, admiring the simplistic innocence of it. Though as she continued to look, she felt a twinge of sadness. It was just so _plain_. The only things decorating the walls were a framed family photo and a poster with a biblical quote on it. It was like a neutered version of Kate's personality.

_It looks like it's **trying** to be Kate's real room but...it just can't quite get there._

"Your madre seemed a bit surprised when she saw us," Chloe said, shaking Max out of her thoughts. She leaned against the door frame. Kate regarded her with an open mouthed smile, her lips tightened into a small 'O' shape.

"Did she?" She asked, giggling. "I guess I didn't mention how hella cool you guys look!" Chloe's head snapped in alert and she glanced around the room like she was searching for something.

"Can you say that here? Shit, Pumpkin, please don't let your parents find out I've been corrupting you. Although..." She danced a little cockily as she headed over to Kate's vanity and pulled out the chair, sitting on it backwards so she could rest her chin on the back. "I must say, you wear it very well."

"Thanks," Kate said, sitting down on her bed. She patted the space next to her for Max.

"So, how has your vacation been so far?" Max asked as she took a seat. "Nice to not have homework for a change, huh?"

"It is nice," Kate agreed with a nod, but then she shrugged. "I kind of miss all of the social interaction, to be honest. I liked how I lived in a building with a bunch of friends and I could see you guys whenever I wanted. Here, it's..." She scrunched her nose, "really boring!"

"I guess it is pretty different when you're surrounded by family instead of people your own age, huh?" Max took a moment to think about how she'd feel if she were suddenly spirited away to Seattle, cut off from the routine of tired, rowdy young adults she had grown used to. It did seem particularly jarring.

"It's nice to spend time with my sisters though," Kate added. "I miss them a lot when I'm at Blackwell. Lynn loves to tell me about what she learned in school and Abby is at that age where drama is becoming the norm, so I like being there for moral support."

"That's them, I take it?" Chloe asked, pointing at the family photo. "Cute. The little one's going to be a heartbreaker."

"Oh gosh, let's hope not," Kate laughed. She let out a small squeak of excitement and hopped off the bed, rushing over to the desk where she removed a present from under a pile. "I almost forgot I could give this to you finally," she said, turning back to Max and holding out the familiar flat shape. She grinned as Max took it from her, but the brunette was doing her best to fake a scowl.

"Uncool," she mumbled, then chuckled. "You really shouldn't have, Kate." The girl shrugged playfully.

"Since I was with Chloe when she got everything, I wanted to get you something too! At least as a thank you for being such a good friend." Toward the end of the sentence, her voice picked up that quiet, timidness that Max had identified as a 'Kate thing.' Max unwrapped the gift and gasped, but Kate spoke before she had the chance to. "I had no idea what to get you, so Chloe suggested this one. She said it was like the 'holy bible' of your style of music..."

"Which is appropriate," Chloe added with a smirk as she nodded at the religious poster. Kate rolled her eyes.

_Uh, yesss. The Aeroplane Over the Sea is like, god-tier._

"When break is over, can I listen to it with you?" She asked.

"It's a date," Max replied, then wrapped the girl in a hug. "Thank you so much."

"You're so welcome!" Kate said, tightening the hug. From the floor below them, the sound of the door closing pierced the tranquility, followed by the loud ramblings of a young child. "Oh, I guess my dad and sisters are home. I should probably introduce you."

Kate led the two down the stairs, maintaining a jaunty bounce in her step. When she was near the bottom, she spoke up.

"Hi, Daddy! This is Max and Chloe!" She waited until she was off the steps to properly motion to each of the girls in correlation with their names. Kate's father was still by the door, sifting through that day's mail. He smiled as he set the mail down and approached them.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," he said, shaking each of their hands. He nodded with a hint of acknowledgment at Chloe, then at Max. "I like your hair! It's very expressive."

"Thank you!" Chloe beamed, then nudged Max with her elbow. "See that? We're expressive."

_Not too much, though. Not right now, anyway._

"It's nice of you girls to come over for dinner," he said, turning away and walking back over to the mail pile. "I hope you like roast."

"It sounds delicious," Max said. "Thank you for having us over!" A brief movement caught her eye and she focused on the doorway into the living room where one small hand could be seen grasping the visible side, along with half of a small face peeking out.

"Lynn, do you want to meet my friends?" Kate asked, going toward the child. In response, the girl only recoiled further behind the door. She chuckled and turned back around. "She's shy."

"That's okay," Max laughed. "I can relate."

"Mom said dinner's ready," another girl said, hanging out from a doorway. Her eyes, shielded behind a pair of glasses, widened when she saw Max and Chloe.

"Abby, these are my friends Max and Chloe," Kate said, the the audible smile in her voice burning brighter.

_Aw, she's so happy to show us off. Kate, you're too precious._

"Uh, hey," the girl drone, almost confused, then slowly retreated back into the room she was in.

"My sisters are so weird..." Kate pouted dramatically.

"Well, you heard her, girls," Mr. Marsh said. "Time to eat!"

* * *

"Now then, finally," Mrs. Marsh said as she set the final plate of food on the table. She took her spot at the end, opposite her husband. Max, Chloe and Kate sat on one side while Abigail and Lynn sat on the other. "I swear you always have to do it just a bit longer than recommended. I hope it's not dry..." She pulled the napkin onto her lap and gestured to Kate's father.

"Right," he said, nodding his head. "Max or Chloe, did you want to lead us in grace?" Somehow Max could not only feel her own heart stop, but the sudden stillness of her girlfriend's as well. Kate scoffed.

"Daddy, don't make them do it," she said, smiling a little. He chuckled back, holding his hands in defense before clearing his throat and beginning the prayer himself. Following Kate's lead, Max and Chloe both bowed their heads and clasped their hands.

_Kate with the save. Somehow I don't think "good food, good meat, good God, let's eat!" would have gone over very well._

Once prayer was over, Kate's parents made it a point to allow Max and Chloe the first helping of the food.

"So, I take it you girls both go to Blackwell as well?" Mr. Marsh asked as he carefully shifted plates around. Max decided to speak first to give Chloe a chance to formulate a respectable way of saying she did not.

"Yes!" Max said. "I'm a photographer, so I came all the way back here from Seattle to take their course on it!" She could feel the tension kick up from the floor and wrap around them.

_Shit. Shit. Not a good subject._

"She's amazing," Kate said with little hesitation, breaking the awkward air and allowing Max a sigh. "She'll be a very famous photographer one day, I know it."

"Oh yeah?" Her father asked, doing his best to file in with the lightened tone. "You know, I used to be a bit of a photographer myself..."

"Dad," Abigail protested, rolling her eyes. "Please don't. All of your pictures are those weird Polaroids anyway."

"Oh, actually, that's what I use," Max added. She noticed the girl's behavior switch a bit, as if embarrassed. "There's something about instant photography that I just can't get with digital cameras. Maybe I'm just pretentious." She chuckled after that. "If you um, had any of your photos still, I'd love to see them." The slight jolt in posture from Mr. Marsh told her that was a good move.

"I'd love to! I'll have to find my albums." He only just shifted his eyes so they were now focused on Chloe. "What about you, Chloe? You seem the artistic type yourself."

_Please tell me you thought of something to say..._

"I like art, yeah," she said. "I'm into science, too." She scrunched her nose a bit. "I was kind of...expelled from Blackwell." Everyone at the table looked at her with varying degrees of shock, leaving Max the only one to simply look straight ahead and mutter inside her head _'oh, dammit.'_

"You were expelled?" Kate's mother asked, lowering the glass of wine from her lips.

"Yes," Chloe said with a bit of conviction. "The truth is, I had kind of a hard time after my father passed away, so I was acting out a bit. I had pretty good grades before then, though!" She smiled brightly and turned to Kate, plopping a hand on her shoulder. "I've been doing a lot better lately though, and Kate here has been a huge help." The little blonde blushed a bit.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mrs. Marsh said, offering a sympathetic pout. "The loss of a parent, I can't even imagine someone so young having to deal with it." Chloe nodded graciously.

"Thank you. It was hard, but like I said, I'm getting much better. I'll get my GED soon and go to college, but I'm not sure what I want to do yet." Max felt a light tap against her leg, which she could immediately recognize as 'well that wasn't so bad!'

_Look at you with your honesty, Chlo. Bold move but it seems to be appreciated._

"You'll figure it out," Kate's father said. "I didn't know what I wanted to do until later on in life. One day, you'll just know what God put you here for."

_For meeeee. Ugh, keeping these cheesy jokes inside gives me agita._

"Thanks, I really appreciate that," Chloe replied.

The meal continued, with the interrogation portion of it winding down into more banal small talk. Kate seemed to be the most chatty and she did her best to include her friends wherever possible in the conversation. Once dinner had concluded, Mr. Marsh and Lynn escaped upstairs to work on a science project and Kate was deemed the sacrifice to help her mother with dishes and tidying up the kitchen.

* * *

Max, Chloe and Abigail sat in the living room all together on the couch as the typical prime time game show poured from the television. They sat in silence, but it wasn't necessarily unpleasant as Max found a bit of joy in watching Abigail try her best to be 'cool.' It was a behavior Max had gone through, presumably the same as most teenagers. Anytime she or Chloe would shift their stance or position, the young girl would try to subtly mimic their movements. Chloe was aware of this as well, as she kept shooting side glances to Max.

_I can't believe she thinks WE'RE cool. Okay, enough suffering for this poor girl._

"So, Abigail," Max finally said, swinging her hips to the side on the couch so she could clearly see her.

"You can call me Abby," the girl responded quickly, almost desperately.

"Abby," Max chuckled with a nod. "What grade are you in?"

"Eighth..." She frowned for a moment. "I'm _almost_ in high school," she made sure to tack on.

"Eighth grade!" Chloe slumped back into the couch a bit. "That feels like so long ago, man!" She sighed. "All I can remember from then is..." She rolled her eyes, insinuating a 'you know.' "Oh, that and if I recall correctly, a lot of awkward photos of us thinking we were way cooler than we were." She snorted. "Fuck, not everything changes, huh?" Max knew she must have stared daggers with the way Chloe winced "Crap, sorry," she said, turning toward Abigail.

_Your big, beautiful mouth. Dammit, Chloe, we're trying to maintain an image!_

"No, no! It's okay!" Abigail swore, pushing her palms out as if bracing for impact. "It's okay! I curse too." She whipped around and stared at the doorway to the kitchen for just a second before turning back to the girls. "Yeah, like..." the volume of her voice dipped, "shit."

"Nice," Chloe hissed proudly, holding out her fist. The girl hesitated, then bumped it.

_Uh oh._

"Do not encourage her," Max scolded as she rolled her eyes, though the smile betrayed her. "Abby, do you have any hobbies?"

"I like fashion," she responded. "I like to draw too but...I'm not as good as Kate."

"You are way too young to be beating yourself up over artistic comparisons," Max laughed. "Trust me, there's plenty of time for that later. You and Kate probably have completely different styles, anyway. That's just as important!" Abigail stuck her legs out straight and ran her hands over the fabric of her pants.

"I guess so," she mumbled. Then she turned to them with an eyebrow quirked. "Are you guys friends with Victoria?"

" _Friends_ is maybe not the right..." Chloe snickered, but Max cut her off.

"Yes, we're friends with her," she said, smacking Chloe on the shoulder. "Why do you ask?"

"She seems really different from you two," Abigail said. "Then again, I guess you're all pretty different from my sister, too..."

"That's the funny thing about friends as you get older," Max said. "You kind of just fall into them, regardless of anything else." The young girl seemed to think it over.

"I have this best friend now, her name is Cassie. We kind of got into a fight though..." She sighed and put her face in her hands. "Over Aaron Green. We both like him..." Chloe smiled and nodded.

"Trust me, you two will patch it up. Boys are dumb," she said. Abigail turned her head in her hands so she could see the punk.

"You don't have a boyfriend?" She asked. When Chloe shook her head, wearing the most nervous yet amused smile, she then turned her attention to Max. "You do though, right?"

_Well, this is complicated._

"Nope," Max said back, shrugging her shoulders. "I have my hands full with other stuff..." She let it linger, then was sure to add, "like school and friends, you know. No time for those pesky boys." She felt herself stifle a sympathetic chuckle at the poor girl. "I agree with Chloe, I'm sure you guys will make peace." Now she did allow herself to laugh out loud. "I'm older, so I know better."

"You sound like my dad," Abigail gave a look of feigned disgust, but smiled. "Um, do you think..." She picked up her phone and fiddled with it, "I could add you on Facebook or something if I need advice? You seem like you know what you're talking about and...I love my sister, but I think there's some stuff she's not too helpful with." The uncertainty in her tone struck of a note of familiarity with Max, as if she was already preparing to be shot down. Then she smiled awkwardly. "I have two accounts, one with a fake name so my parents won't know!"

_That seems kind of sad._

"Of course," she said, giving a smile. "My last name is Caulfield." Abigail began typing on her phone and Max watched as Chloe's eyes grew wide.

"Wait," she said, her voice loud and panicked as she reached toward the girl's phone. Instinctively, Kate's sister jerked away and looked at Chloe with confusion. It was as her eyes aimed back toward the phone and the reflection of an image took root in Abigail's glasses that she understood the problem.

_Oh shit, oh shit._

"What?" Abigail asked quietly, more confused than anything. She stared at her phone a moment longer, then turned it to the girls, showing off the image of Max's profile picture – a photo of her and Chloe kissing she had taken a few days ago. "Why are you kissing?"

"Abby," Max said quietly, her posture seizing still. Chloe clamped her eyes shut and pressed her palm against her face. Abigail looked between them, then back at the photo. The lack of immediate explanation allowed the girl's mind all the time it needed to come to the proper conclusion.

"You're dating _each other_?" She asked in a loud, hushed tone. "That's why you don't have boyfriends!"

"Abby," Max repeated, still trying to pull together a calm way to handle the situation. The girl tapped on her phone.

"In a relationship with Chloe Price," she read, her voice loud as if the volume would soothe her confusion. She looked back up, her face contorting more and more into the realm of incomprehension. "You're lesbians?"

" _What?_ " A voice asked from behind them, causing all three to turn in a frenzy. Kate's mother stood by the doorway to the kitchen with a plate of cookies in her hands. Her face only registered a look of pure disgust. "What did you just say?"

_Oh fuck. This is the worst timing._

"Mom," Abigail began, holding up her hands. "We were just kidding around. They're not..." Her voice trailed off. Max's heart thumped in her chest faster and harder. Chloe was still as a statue, her eyes as wide as they could get. There was something about seeing her, frozen and vulnerable that snapped at Max's heart. Because she _knew_ Chloe. She knew that the girl was putting one hundred percent of her focus and concentration into remaining as docile as possible. She knew Chloe wanted to argue, wanted to be proud. And that Max had managed to put her into a position where she _couldn't_ be only set her own mind on fire.

"Yes, Mrs. Marsh," Max said.

_Don't. Don't. Just let it..._

"Chloe and I are a couple. We love each other and..."

" _Love?_ " Mrs. Marsh scoffed, her eyes blackening under the weight of the scripture. "You _can't_ love each other. It's a..."

"What? A sin?" Max shot back, the temperance in her tone ebbing away.

"It's an abomination. It isn't right," the woman said back, her words cold and stinging. Max sprung up from the couch.

_Abomination?! How **dare** she say this isn't right after everything we did to be together! That's just evil. That's...that's..._

"That's _SUCH_ bullshit!" Max shouted. "Who are you to tell me who I can and can't love?!"

"You will not raise your voice to me in my own home," Kate's mother said with an ugly evenness in her voice. Unbeknownst to her, Kate had returned from taking the trash out and was behind her.

_Dammit! No, no, no..._

"What's...going on?" She asked.

"Secret's out," Chloe said quietly, making eye contact with the floor. Her mother's eyes twitched with anger as she spun around toward the girl.

"You _knew_ about this!?" She shrieked, jerking the plate around and sending the cookies to the floor. The monstrous fire inside of Max dampened just a bit as she could read a look of collapse in Kate's expression. But instead of backing down...

" **Of course I knew**!" She shouted back, holding her arms out angrily. "They're my _best friends!_ "

"And you invited them into our home!?" Her mother's face grew red.

"They're. My. Best. Friends." Kate replied, this time with a seething slowness.

"Well, I guess this explains why you've been acting so differently lately," her mother said flippantly. She attempted to step by Kate, but the girl moved in front of her.

"What? Do you mean _happy_?!" She growled as her fists bundled tightly together. "Why do you act like all I'm supposed to do is be quiet and mope around all the time!? Something _must_ be wrong if I'm actually enjoying myself!" Her father descended the stairs and Max could see Lynn near the top of the steps, peering through the banister with fear.

"What in the world is going-" He started to ask, but was cut off.

"Do not speak to me that way, I am your mother," Mrs. Marsh said, pointing at Kate with enough intention that it seemed a bullet might actually escape her fingertip. She turned toward Kate's father. "Richard, I just learned that your daughter's friends are in a romantic relationship with each other. And Kate knew." Her father stopped, his brows knitting together as he cast his gaze over the girls.

"They're my friends!" Kate repeated, this time screaming. She looked at her father, shaking her head at his clear uneasiness at the sight of Max and Chloe. "What is _wrong_ with you guys!?" Max felt a tap on her arm and she turned to see Chloe, the punk mouthing 'should we leave?' Max only shrugged at her. Chloe nodded and stood up from the couch, catching Max by the arm as she headed for the door. "Please don't leave!" Kate called after them.

"Kate, it's okay," Chloe assured. "You didn't do anything wrong. We love you. But we should probably head out..." The blue haired girl was clearly struggling to aim her words at Kate and ignore the veil of judgment being cast over her.

"I think that'd be best," Kate's mother said. "Before you have a chance to influence my other two children." That struck Chloe hard as she looked over at Abigail. It was rare for Max to see her so tangled up and defeated. Kate rushed passed her mother and toward the girls.

"Influence?!" She yelled, turning back around. "You want to know what their influence is!?" She gripped her hair as rage induced tears rolled down her cheeks. "I was actually thinking about killing myself! They _saved_ me!" As the words passed her lips, it was as if every candle in the house was blown out at once, sucking any and all warmth and light away. Her father had a visible reaction of horror, clapping his hand over his mouth. Kate began to laugh, though it was a bitter sound. "I was so depressed! I hated getting out of bed! I couldn't help it, I just started...thinking about it." Her father let go of a sob, along with a fractured 'Katie.' But her mother just...kept staring. Her eyes cold and devoid of all empathy.

"You didn't have to resort to _this_ ," she said, flitting a hand at the girls. Kate's father turned to her, unbelieving of his ears. Kate, however, lost the rigidity of her posture. Her frame slumped. Not only had she admitted that she thought of taking her own life, but her mother disregarded it entirely in favor of another jab at her friends. All of her fight, torn to shreds with one single sentence.

"You..." Her head only just barely shifted side to side. "You have this much hate in your heart because they love each other?" The query was posed delicately, but Max could see the girl was ready for the answer to tear through her. With what seemed to be a mindless action, Kate reached up and grasped the silver cross hanging around her neck. "You'd never accept this, would you?" She asked, though the question seemed more like an answer for something she had been wondering for a while. She stared at her mother, who offered nothing more than a glare back. Kate nodded in defeat and turned around to Max and Chloe. "Is it okay if I come with you guys? I can stay in my room."

"Of course, Kate," Max said, her voice uneasy. The blonde moseyed over to a small table where her purse sat and picked it up, slinging it over her shoulder. She motioned to the door, giving Max the okay to open it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Her mother asked.

"I'm going to go be with the people who actually care that I'm alive," Kate responded despondently, not even turning around as she followed Chloe out the door.

* * *

Not much was said on the ride back to Blackwell, but that didn't mean it was quiet. For the entirety of the trip, Max cradled Kate against her chest as the girl repeatedly sobbed, shouted and apologized. She exchanged worried looks with Chloe on multiple occasions, but otherwise didn't utter a word. The crying had quieted as they arrived at the school, though Kate was still trembling as they walked to Max's dorm.

"I'm just so, so sorry," she said, plopping on the floor next to Alice's cage. "I should have never put you in a position to keep it a secret. I'm sorry. I thought once they knew how great you guys were..." Chloe sighed and went over the girl, sitting down across from her.

_She didn't think it'd matter. She thought she could change their minds..._

"Kate, it's alright. It's not your fault." She tilted her head up at the ceiling, trying to loosen more words from her skull. "Some people are just weird, I don't know..."

"I _swear_ to God I'm not like them," Kate said, flustered. "I swear."

"We know," Max assured, sitting down on her bed. Kate unlatched the cage and scooped Alice into her lap. "Of course you're not like them."

"I'm not. I'm not," she repeated, her voice slipping further away as she stroked the bunny. "You guys are amazing, there's nothing wrong with you."

"Hey, come on," Chloe said, trying to seem chipper. "It's alright. Look," she gestured to Max's bag, making eye contact with the brunette, "we'll put on the album you got her so you can see how it sounds, okay?" Kate bundled her shoulders tighter but nodded.

"I don't know what happened... Everything fell apart so fast..." She snarled in annoyance as she tore her phone out of her jacket pocket, the screen lit up from an incoming call from her father. She scowled and tossed it away from her. As Max stepped away from the player, allowing the music to start, Kate closed her eyes. She worked her bottom lip between her teeth, then held her hand out. "Sorry, can you hand me my phone?"

"You going to answer?" Chloe asked, retrieving it and giving it back to her.

"No," she said coldly, and that may have been the first time Max saw _any_ of the girl's mother in her. "Just texting someone else." Max stood by the desk, looking down over the other two girls, when her own phone vibrated. She took it out to see she had a message on Facebook from Abigail.

**Abigail Marsh:** Is my sister okay? I'm so worried!

Max sighed to herself and retreated over to her bed, sinking down onto the mattress as she typed back.

**Max Caulfield:** She's pretty upset, but we're taking care of her. Are you and Lynn okay?

**Abigail Marsh:** Idk I feel so bad! I didn't mean to be so loud! Mom and dad are fighting

_Shit._

**Max Caulfield:** Don't feel bad, it's nobody's fault. Just a shitstorm.

**Abigail Marsh:** Why isn't she answering her phone?

**Max Caulfield:** I think she just needs a little space away from your parents. Let your dad know she's safe with us. I'll try to get her to call him in the morning, okay?

**Abigail Marsh:** Ok. Thank you for being such good friends to her. I still think you're really cool.

**Max Caulfield:** Ditto, Abby. Good night.

"Uh, well..." Max said, completely unsure of her tone, "impromptu sleepover is kind of fun, right?" Both girls looked up at her slowly, though Kate did crack a small smile.

"I can just sleep in my room," she said. "I don't want to impose. I think I've already orchestrated enough chaos for you two today." She scowled when the words ' _I love you, Jesus Christ...'_ flowed out of the record player. "Are you serious?" There was a chuckle of disbelief.

" _Impose_?" Chloe asked, placing a hand on her chest in feigned shock. "Kate, for any chaos you may have orchestrated, you have to remember that you're looking at the fucking conductor of the year." She pointed her thumbs at herself. "We're not going to make you spend the night all alone."

"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes once more as she rested her back against the cage. "My head feels like it's going to burst. I just want to scream from the rooftops." Chloe's mouth opened slowly as she turned to Max, that 'okay but what if' eyebrow raised. Before Max could even begin to protest, the punk was back toward Kate.

"Okay," she said, standing up and pulling the blonde to her feet.

* * *

_I do not like this._

Max brought up the rear, with Kate in the middle as Chloe jingled the doorknob to the roof. To the brunette's dismay, it opened. She walked behind Kate, keeping herself lined up with the girl as her breathing quickened in nervousness.

"It's just open like that?" Kate asked as she stepped out onto the roof. "You'd think they'd lock it."

_Yeah, you'd think._

Though some of it had melted, a fair portion of snow remained on the roof, crunching under their feet as they moved further out. The sky above them was clear, showing off its array of stars with warranted pride. Kate stared up, jaw slacked open.

"I've never been up here," she said quietly, but something in her voice sounded like she was reassuring herself. She looked at Chloe. "It's so pretty, you can see the whole campus."

"Yeah..." Max said nervously, taking a side step to be closer to the girl. Chloe cleared her throat.

"You were saying about screaming?" She asked, gesturing out into the night air. The blonde recoiled a bit.

"I didn't think you'd tell me to do it. I don't really have anything to say and...I'm not the screaming from the rooftops kind of girl, anyway." Kate's head drooped a little as she sighed. "But I appreciate you taking me up here."

"It's not so hard," Chloe said and stepped away. She hunched down with her hands on her knees and took in a big breath. "This is just a demonstration!" She shouted into the the night. "I don't actually have anything to say but I want to show my friend how to do it!" She turned back around and smiled. "See?" Without realizing, Max hand wound her fingers around Kate's forearm, only noticing when the girl moved away from her and broke contact.

"Okay," Kate said, her voice small but excited. She stood next to Chloe and cleared her throat. "Hello!" She yelled, then burst into laughter. Chloe turned to her and placed her hands on her hips.

"Kate, really?" She gave Max an unimpressed look as the brunette joined them closer to the edge.

"Sorry, I said I wasn't going to be good at it!" Kate wheezed, pulling her jacket around her tighter. She stopped laughing abruptly and stared out. The sudden shift drew worry from Max. "Have you ever..." She nibbled on her bottom lip. "Have you ever thought about how when you're up some place high like this, you could just...jump? Almost like it's a magnet?" Her head slumped once again as Max wasted no time wrapping her arms around her, even if it was partly for her own comfort.

_You're staying right here._

"The call of the void," Chloe whispered before also throwing an arm around the blonde. "It happens to everyone. It's like a French thing, l'appel du vide or some shit. I used to get it a lot..." She closed her eyes with a wince when she could feel Kate trembling.

"I never told you guys," she said, with clear evidence of crying in her voice. "I actually thought about it. I didn't want to have those thoughts, but they were just there..." Reliving a slanted version of her memory of being on the roof with Kate sent shivers through Max's skin, pulling it to goosebumps. She clung tighter.

_Even then, at your worst, you didn't do it Kate. You stayed strong the whole time._

"But we're here now," Max whispered. "Let the void's call go to voicemail, okay?" Kate snorted in a laugh of acknowledgment.

"You guys saved me," she said, now unfolding her arms to pull the girls closer to her. "I'm so blessed to have you two." She let herself smile. "And everyone else now, too..."

"Like Victoria," Chloe said, and it felt too right for Max to even summon 'how dare you' eyes.

"Like Victoria," Kate agreed. Her hand found its way to the cross again as her fingers lightly ran along its edges. She huffed and angled her head upward as she screamed, "I am so sleepy!" She began to laugh, letting a bit of her weight rest evenly divided between Max and Chloe. The punk chuckled too.

"Sorry, she's new at this!" Chloe shouted, causing the three of them to laugh harder. But when the night answered back, their laughter ceased.

"Chloe!?" A voice called, lobbing itself from the ground onto the roof. Cautiously, the blue haired girl crept toward the edge and, placing her palms on the side, peeked over. She bared her teeth as she cringed, glancing back over her shoulder at the other two girls.

"Uhh..." She began, looking back over the edge, "hey, David. Nice night, eh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy 40 chapters! Er, maybe not 'happy' in this case, but you know...
> 
> I guess a little behind the scenes talk - I've done my best to sidestep the idea of people having problems with same sex relationships throughout this story. It's not even something I'd really particularly like to acknowledge as a thought process. But when it comes to Kate and her family, it would just be...bad storytelling for me to brush it off, especially considering how much she likes that new necklace of hers.
> 
> It's kind of hard to believe we're just a little over two weeks away from it being a whole year since I started Ouroboros. That's nuts! Some of you have been with me for a YEAR! I only hope you've all enjoyed your time reading and will hopefully stick around for all the stuff we have left. Which reminds me, last chapter when I told you guys about those Ouroboros Twitter accounts, I forgot to mention mine. It's TomorrowHeart (shock) please do feel free to say hi or tell me I suck!
> 
> Thank you all so much for continuing to read. You're the best. I'll see you guys for the next chapter!


	41. Out With The Old

Cigarette lazily drooping from between her lips, Chloe rapped her knuckles against the metallic door to the RV. Inside, the blaring music dampened as she could hear the jingle of a dog collar getting closer. There was a muffled 'stay' from a brusque voice, and then Frank opened the door. He had a tempered, excited smile as his hand extended out to the girl, already offering a beer.

_There's that ugly mug._

"Happy holidays, brat," he said. Chloe gave a small snort and took a drag of her cigarette, before removing it from her lips and grasping the bottle.

"Same to you, dickhead," she replied. She examined the label of the beer for a moment, then smiled as she took a swig. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion and leaned out from the doorway, glancing down the side of the RV and across the snow covered beach. "They stayed in the truck for a sec," Chloe said, reading his mind. She touched the mouth of the bottle to her bottom lip. "Hey, thanks for...letting us bring our friend along. Big drama at home recently so she's been hanging with us the past few days."

"I trust you," he said, now leaning his shoulder against the door frame. "I'm sure she's cool. Plus, the more the merrier, right? I made sure to order some more pizza." He chuckled. "Shit, I wouldn't be surprised if I already knew her. If she goes to Blackwell, she's probably bought from me." That made Chloe instinctively tighten one eye shut in a pseudo wince.

_Ooooh. Did...not take that into account. Fuck, this might be a little more than he bargained for._

"Actually Frank," she took another quick puff of her cigarette, "I kind of have to tell you something. Be cool, okay? Everything's fine, but..."

"Where is my Pom Pom!?" Max shouted, appearing from around the RV with her arm interlocked with Kate's. At this, Pompidou bolted between Frank's legs, down the step, and took off at the two girls. Kate let loose an excited squeal as Max opened her arms wide, dropping to her knees to wrap the dog in a hug. Losing focus on whatever Chloe was about to say, Frank stepped down out of the RV.

"Max, what did I say about calling him that!?" He held his hands up in offense. "He's a masculine dog and..." He sighed. "I cannot believe he answers to that." The brunette beamed at Frank.

"That's because he knows that Aunt Max brought him some treats! Right, Pom Pom?" She feverishly scratched Pompidou behind his ears with one hand while the other dipped into her jacket pocket and retrieved some dog treats. Frank raised a hand in objection, then placed it over his mouth when he realized there was no victory to be had. He exchanged a quick look with Chloe as Max stood back up and bolted into him, seizing him in a hug. "And hello to you, Frank."

"Alright, alright," he huffed, patting her on the back as if it didn't come naturally to him. "It's good to see you too." Sheepish as ever, Kate wandered between the other two girls and patiently awaited introductions.

"Frank, this is Kate," Max said, gesturing to the girl. "She goes to Blackwell with me." The small girl shyly held out a hand, which Frank took as he nodded to her.

"Frank," he said. "You look familiar...have we ever met?" Chloe allowed herself one quick 'fuck' of a nod when she noticed Max's posture straighten.

_Oh, nice of you to join me on the We Made a Horrible Mistake Express, Maxy._

"I don't think so," Kate replied with a giggle, showing how absurd the idea seemed to her. "Do you know a lot of Blackwell students?"

"Not anymore," Frank scoffed. "Just these two dorks." He looked at Chloe. "I guess you don't even count." The blue haired girl took one moment to lapse out of her worry to hold a middle finger up, causing the man to chuckle. "Well, I've got some food and drinks inside. You guys are more than welcome to help yourself while I get the fire started."

"Yeah, I'll help you with that," Chloe offered as Max shuffled Kate up inside the RV. Bending over as he pulled some tinder together, Frank glanced up at her.

"Don't really need help," he laughed.

_Too bad, bucko._

"Eh, I'll spot you," she reassured, taking another sip of her beer. When Max and Kate were completely out of sight, she took a step toward the fire pit and hunched down to be eye level with him. "Listen dude, I kind of...really _do_ need to tell you something about Kate."

"Alright, I'm listening," he said, but then added more before she could talk. "She seems pretty straight laced, how the hell did she get roped in with you two?" He snickered, proud of yet another shallow but playful dig.

" _Dude_ ," Chloe stressed, snapping his attention up. "Man, I am trying to tell you. Her name's Kate Marsh. Does that ring a bell?" His eyes flickered around in confusion as he searched for an answer. Suddenly, as if a bolt of lightning struck through him, he dropped the sticks he was holding. It was the first time Chloe had ever seen a real life example of the expression 'you look like you've seen a ghost.' And it burnt in her chest that she knew _exactly_ which ghost he was seeing. "Frank..."

"That..." He pointed at the RV. "Are you fucking telling me you brought the girl that I _helped drug_ here?" His words were already sloppily mixing over each other as he stuttered. "Chloe, you've got to be _fucking_ kidding me."

_Okay so yeah this is about as well as I thought this would go._

"Hey," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "dude, it's fine. She has no idea you were involved."

"I fucking do!" He growled in a whisper. "Do you understand how much guilt I've been dealing with? I've been trying to forget every fucking night and you _bring_ the living reminder to a casual get together!?"

"Listen," Chloe responded, trying to maintain an assertive tone, "I fucked up, I get it. I should have given you a heads up, but it's been hella fucking hectic with her the past couple of days. She basically kicked herself out of her own home because of me and Max." He buried his face in the palms of his hands and let go of a frustrated grunt. "Frank," her voice was demanding. "It's New Year's Eve, okay? This is the last night of this fucking nightmare of a year. Time to start over." She squeezed his shoulder. "We're here with you, man." After a heavy pause of silence, Frank sighed.

"It is _never_ simple with you, is it?" He asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Come on, dude," she shot back with a light snicker. "Where would the fun be in that?"

* * *

Chloe watched dreamily as Max and Kate ran back and forth on the beach, a sparkler in each of the girls' hands while Pompidou chased them. She could hear the excited, childlike giggling washing in like waves and something about it pulled her heart down further into the spiral of love.

_Goddamn, Max. Your laugh is like some kind of fucking miracle._

"So..." Frank began, breaking her thought, "that's really her, huh? The one that lived to tell the tale?" She turned to him and watched his faraway gaze stuck to the blonde girl like glue. Then he shook his head, grinding his teeth. "Or, the only one who remembers enough to tell the tale. Fuck knows how many girls he..."

"Frank," Chloe said, blocking the rest of the sentence. She shifted herself in the lawn chair, but made sure to keep any of her exposed skin available to the heat of the fire. "I can't pretend to understand how you feel, but you fucking know that if Rach were here she would tell you to stop beating yourself up." There was a flash of pain over his face, and Chloe wondered when the last time he had heard her name out loud was. "Is it fucked? One hundred percent. But you're...not a bad guy. You _do_ know that, right?"

_You've never been a bad person. Just a good one surrounded in shit._

"I don't know how I'm supposed to believe that," he muttered, then crammed the bottle to his lips so it clinked against his teeth. Chloe tapped her fingers against her pant leg, trying to find something to say. She looked back out and smiled when she saw Kate dancing in front of Pompidou, putting on a show with the sparklers.

"Pompidou isn't a bad dog right?" She asked, turning back to him. He furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"He's a great dog, he was just raised the wrong way." Chloe held her beer out like 'right?' Frank rolled his eyes. "Nice try, Mother Goose, but it's a little different."

_I was going more for Mr. Rogers but okay fine we can play it by ear._

"Well yeah, you're a person," she shot back with an impish smile. He didn't crack.

"I ruined that poor girl's life," he stated calmly, matter of factly. Chloe shrunk a bit from his tone. "Chloe, I helped killed someone. You could never know how that fe-" His voice evaporated as Chloe's head filled with the image of her shooting Frank and Pompidou right in that same spot. She saw both realities at once, Frank falling to the ground in one direction while he sat across from her sipping a beer in the other. She clamped her eyes shut and willed the scene to end.

_Yeah...that one still stings._

"No," she finally said after regaining her wits, "I don't know how it feels. But..." She pointed out at the little blonde running in circles. "I can guarantee you this second that Kate could _know_ about all of it and she would forgive you. That's just how she is."

"Let's not test that," he offered back dryly. Chloe nodded like 'duh' and pulled her feet onto the chair, tugging one of the blankets Frank had provided around her.

"My point is, we'll work it out, okay?" She leaned forward, resting her chin on her knees. "I'm not much, but I'm what you got."

"Lucky me," he said, then amended his tone. "Seriously, I'm lucky."

_Me too, man. Me too._

"Our sparklers ran out!" Max shouted, trudging up the hill with Kate following. She approached Chloe and yanked her ankle toward her, pulling her legs out straight so she had a clear lap to sit in. Kate picked up one of the blankets and pulled it around her shoulders as she took a seat.

"Kid, I bought like thirty of them," Frank chuckled, hiding away the pain from the earlier conversation. Max gave an open mouthed smile and clapped her hands excitedly.

"I haven't played with sparklers since I was a kid," Kate said after releasing a 'brrrr.' "It's nice to feel young like that again." She drew the blanket tighter around her as her expression slipped into contemplation. Frank watched on, mentally berating himself, before working up a smile.

"Glad I could help you get that feeling back, Kate," he said.

* * *

As the night deepened, the antics progressed. Everyone, including Kate, was rocking a steady buzz from the consumption of alcohol and after quadruple checking to make sure the girl was fine with it, Frank and Chloe even passed a joint back and forth. As the company grew warmer, the winter cold lessened. Eventually, Chloe shambled out of the RV with a new bottle of wine in her hand and a slice of pizza hanging from her mouth. She was mumbling and nodding her head to the speaker set up by the window so music could be heard outside.

"Didn't Joyce teach you not to talk with your mouthful?" Max teased. The blue haired girl gave a quick shake of her ass in response, then handed the bottle of wine to Kate.

"I was talking about the music," she said, removing the pizza from between her teeth. She pointed it at Frank. "This song, dude. Ugh."

"You and Rachel used to love this song!" He replied, holding up his hands.

_Her much more than me. This shit is traaaassssh._

"Remember the way she used to get right in your face and sing? Like..." Chloe quickly darted at him, leaning down so their eyes met and began to belt out the words in an exaggerated, out of key voice. He recoiled away from her, shaking his head and prompting a laugh from Max and Kate.

"I do not miss that," he laughed quietly once she had stopped and began to walk away. She turned back around and glared at him.

"Yes, you do..." She whispered. And it was then that for the first time since her first trip to the cemetery that she allowed herself to truly and deeply miss Rachel. Not as a romantic possibility. Not even as her idyllic angel. But as a friend.

_Fuck Rach...you'd love this right now. You'd be with Frank, catcalling me and Max every time we kissed. You'd love Kate... Holy shit, you'd be so protective of her. Maybe more than me and Max put together. You always were like that and..._

"Shit," she mumbled, bringing the back of her hand to her cheek to catch the forming tears. "I miss her." Max leaned forward in her seat and slid her fingers between Chloe's, squeezing gently to remind her she wasn't alone.

"Me too," Frank said, casting his eyes downward. It was silent for only a moment before Kate spoke up.

"You knew Rachel?" She asked him. He slowly looked at her and summoned a weak smile.

"Yeah," he took a swig of his beer, "we were close." Kate frowned and held her hands out for the fire as a slight chilling wind picked up.

"I'm sad I never got to know her," she said. "She seemed really special. I feel like I don't know anything about her."

_She does that, Kate. Even to the people who were closest to her._

"She wanted to be a model," Frank said. "She would have been a damned good one, too." He smirked at Kate's genuine interest, her big eyes regarding him with sincerity. "I don't think she took a bad picture in her life."

_I can fucking think of a few...Ugh, no. No._

"Ooh!" Max shot forward in her chair. "You should show Kate your favorite photo of her, the one you showed me!" He had a quick pained expression, showing hesitance at revealing something so sacred to him. The winter chill bit at him, causing him to shudder and rearrange the blanket draped around him as he reached inside his jacket pocket.

"I'm not a photographer but..." He stretched his arm out, handing the photo to Kate, "I think this is about as perfect as I can get." The blonde angled the photo against the flames so she could see it clearly, taking in the details of it slowly and carefully.

"She really was beautiful," Kate said. "It's...strange to think we have something so vile in common." Chloe glanced at Frank to check his reaction, but it remained unchanged. "I'm going to forever be connected to a girl I didn't even know." She looked up at the group, her eyes glassy. "No one else really understands..." Now the punk regarded Max, whose features darkened against the light of the fire. She quickly went to her.

_Oh god, my poor baby. Fucking lunatic I'll never forget what he did._

"Kate," Chloe said, settling herself on top of Max. She tried to remain as cheery as she could, sending all sense of empathy to the hand she began to stroke Max's cheek with. "I know if she had a chance, you and her would be great friends. We all would. Like some clan of crazy women." She snorted. "Basically what we are anyway, but we have Frank here to make sure the estrogen doesn't pull one side of the scale through the floor."

"Yeah," Frank answered, sarcastically bobbing his head. "Crazy is right."

"But you loooove us," Max teased from behind Chloe. The man regarded her for a moment, working his jaw in thought before letting go a sound of disgust.

"Sure, whatever floats your boat, dork." He picked up another bottle and jerked it down on the arm of the lawn chair, flinging the cap onto the ground. "I guess I don't hate you being around."

* * *

"What are yourrrrrrrrrr," Kate's tipsy tongue tied itself into a knot as she tried to speak, "revolutions this year?" She giggled and made it a point to dramatically set her wine glass on the ground. "Resolutions. Sorry, I kinda let myself go tonight. Rough few days."

_Holy shit, this is great. I'm so glad she has a chance to unwind in a...safe environment. Well, Frank, never thought I'd say that about you._

"Yours should be to let go more often," Chloe chuckled. "It's fucking hilarious." She tilted her head back as she thought. "Um, shit man, I have no idea. I guess to just keep not being an asshole." She held out a hand. "Actually, I've been really into this not wasting water thing..."

"I want to be the best photographer ever," Max mumbled, her face pressed firmly against Chloe's back. "Or at least start my portfolio." Kate nodded with a condensed cheer and then looked at Frank. The man watched them for a moment and then let out a sigh.

"Well, stop getting drunk with under aged kids," he said. "That's probably a good start." The girls simultaneously boo'd him, causing him to laugh. "Alright, Jesus. Probably get a real job and try to get my shit together. You know, the usual."

_Sounds like a plan. I'll help anyway I can, ya big oaf._

"What about you, Kate?" Max asked, finally tugging Chloe to the side so she could speak clearly. The blonde swayed from side to side as she 'hmm'd.'

"I just...want to figure myself out," she said. "It's kind of messy all in here." She waved one hand in front of her face. Frank pointed at her.

"That's a good idea." He pulled a cigarette to his lips and lit it. "That should be everyone's goal." He cleared his throat. "Uh, I heard you had some trouble with your parents? What happened?"

_Oh no way, are you offering an empathetic ear? 2013 has a few surprises left in her, I see._

"I don't know..." She muttered. "I invited Max and Chloe over and my family's very religious. My mom found out about them and started screaming, so I blew up back."

"It was like a little, adorable mushroom cloud," Chloe interjected with a grin. "I mean, it sucked, but that part was kind of neat."

"I know a bit what that's like," Frank said. "My old man had a couple of strong ideas himself when it came to God..."

_Oooh, bonding sesh. I should take advantage of this._

"Hey," Chloe flitted a hand behind her, rustling against Max's stomach. "Come inside with me and eat some more pizza."

"Yes _please,_ " Max responded, giving a small push to get Chloe off of her. The blue haired girl snickered as she found her girlfriend's hand and began to pull her inside.

"Wait," Frank called out, interrupting himself and stopping the girls. He pointed at them. "Don't...fuck...in my home, okay?"

"Dude!" Chloe huffed. "We're getting food! Will you chill?" He rolled his eyes in response and turned his attention back to Kate, continuing his conversation about his father.

"What are your feelings on the one with the sausage on it?" Max asked as she was coerced into the RV. "It's like, a little spicy, right?"

"Yeah, I dig it," Chloe said, pulling the door shut behind them. "So, this is going really well considering we spaced out on something pretty serious, eh?"

" _Dude_ , I know!" Max replied, gripping Chloe by the wrists with wide eyes. "How did we fuck that up!?" She laughed in disbelief. "Did you tell him?"

"Yeah..." Chloe shuffled across the room and plopped into the driver's seat. "He took it like a cannonball to the abs, but I think he's okay now that he's gotten to know her and sees she's doing okay."

"Well, dodged a bullet there at least," Max said, picking up a slice of pizza and analyzing the underside of it. "Kate's having fun too, though I'm a little worried about how much she's had to drink. Not really her style, you know?"

_Max Caulfield, helicopter parent._

"Eh, let her have it tonight. You know she's been twisting herself inside out about everything that happened." Chloe gripped the steering wheel. "You know, I still think we should get Frank to take us somewhere in this bad boy." She shrugged deviously. "Or at least, we could ask to borrow it!"

"It's...his house?" Max chuckled, plucking a piece of pepperoni off her slice of pizza and giving it to Pompidou, who had been kept inside to stay warm. "It would be fun though." She turned and eyed Chloe up and down, unleashing a cheesy smile.

_Never stop doing that please._

"What?" She asked.

"Just reminds me of the day we first kissed, is all," Max shrugged happily.

_Aww, you're so cute. Damn shame Frank read my mind._

"Five minutes, guys!" Kate shouted from outside, her voice punching through the cracked window. Chloe sprung up from the seat and pulled Max into a tender hug.

"So, what do you say, Mad Max? You ready to give this year the boot?" She made sure to add several pecks in the girl's hair.

"Yeah," she replied, bobbing up to meet Chloe's lips. "Let's get this trainwreck over with."

* * *

"Ten...nine...eight..." The four of them counted down, following Kate's lead as she watched the timer on her phone. Pompidou frantically trotted in circles around the fire, feeding off the exuberance from the others. "Three...two...one...Happy New Year!" As to be expected, Chloe's first act of business was to cash in on her New Year's kiss as she gripped Max's cheeks and thrust their lips together. Frank watched on with a smirk, but was caught off guard when Kate approached him with her arms out. The girls broke the kiss just in time to witness the hug between them, with Chloe excitedly jabbing Max in the ribs with her elbow.

_See that!? Starting over already!_

They then took turns hugging each other, smiling giddily each time they repeated the phrase.

"Alright, Pompidou, get inside. Daddy has to blow something up," Frank said, rubbing his hands together mischievously. He scooped up a fairly large, rocket shaped firework that had been setting against the RV all night. After making sure the door was shut and Pompidou was safe inside, he beckoned the girls to follow him down onto the beach.

_Look at that thing! We're going to light up all of Oregon!_

"Is this legal?" Kate asked, ambling down the hill as she gripped her jacket.

"It is not," Frank responded, still grinning wickedly. "But don't worry, it's not like we're the only ones going to be setting these suckers off." Once they had gotten far enough out, he plunged the stick into the sand. He pulled a Zippo lighter from his jacket pocket and flicked the lid open. Just as he had it set at the wick, he stopped and stood back up. "Hey," he held the lighter out for Kate, "why don't you do it?"

"Oh, um, I'm eighteen," she said, pulling her hands to her chest. "I can get arrested." Max placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We're with you, Kate. You won't get in trouble," she said. The meek girl thought it over and exhaled.

"Okay, but if we see flashing lights, I'm telling them it was Pompidou," she laughed, leaning down toward the firework.

"It's a solid strategy," Chloe quipped, winding an arm around Max's waist. Kate flicked the wheel of the lighter three times before it lit, then touched the flame to the wick. It caught, and she pranced backward, giggling nervously.

The fire traveled along the wick until it reached the rocket, summoning forth a loud shriek. In another moment, it was off the ground, brilliantly shooting into the night sky. As they watched, more and more whistles could be heard as the sky filled with fireworks. They began to explode in the distance, lighting up Arcadia Bay with dazzling colors. Then theirs went off, spreading out a large, vibrant purple. Chloe tugged Max even closer, bearing her teeth in a smile as 2013, simultaneously the worst and best year of her life, faded with the colors.

_Alright, 2014...show me what you got._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A new year awaits.
> 
> Interestingly, "Max and Chloe spend New Years with Frank" was something I had come up with long ago, but only while writing the last chapter did I realize I could add Kate to the mix. Exploring the unfortunate connection between her and Frank was an opportunity I didn't want to miss, and I hope I did an alright job of it. 
> 
> Side note: I know it's a fairly common opinion that "Katie" on Frank's dealer list is our Kate, which would mean they did in fact know each other. I personally don't hold this belief, so I didn't include that here. 
> 
> Thanks for reading guys! I hope you enjoyed. Muah muah.


	42. Out, Damned Spot!

"The guys at work are convinced it's going to be a cakewalk, but I'm not so sure," Max's father said over the phone. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on his words. "The Saints have a good D but so long as we give the ball to Marshawn early I think we should be able to squeak it out."

"Yeah..." The word drooped out of Max's mouth with little fight.

"You okay?" Her dad asked with a bit of a chuckle. "Am I boring you with sports talk?"

"No, no," she said, releasing a heavy sigh after, before perking her attention. "I'm okay! Sorry, yeah, I'm okay! It'll be so crazy if we make it to the Super Bo-" Her sentence was cut off by a sharp ' _shit_.' She brought her teeth down on her bottom lip.

"What in the world are you doing over there?" He laughed again, and she could hear him futzing with what sounded like dishes.

"Sorry," she said, her eyes clamped shut, "I just whacked my toe on the edge of the bed. Ouchers." She was silent for only a fraction of a second. "Actually, Dad, let me go so I can say goodbye to Chloe before she has to leave for work. I'll text you later, okay?"

"Yep, sounds good, Maxine," he replied. "Love you!"

"Love you too, Pop," she said, hanging up the phone. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, then jerked the bed covers into the air, looking down at the pair of blue eyes between her legs. "You and I need to have a talk about patience."

_While I'm on the phone with my PARENTS, CHLOE?_

"That was really funny," Chloe responded sleepily, her eyes still half-lidded from recent awakening. "We were like both tongue tied, do you get..." Her words slowed to a stop as she closed her eyes and rested her head on Max's thigh.

_She's not even awake and she's this ridiculous._

"If you're going to go to sleep, could you do it...up here?" Max reached beside her and patted the pillow she was resting on. Chloe groaned and rolled to her right, falling off of the bed and taking the blankets with her. Max took in a sharp breath and stretched her shirt over her knees. "Dude, it's cold!"

"I meant to roll the other way," the blue haired girl muttered from the floor. Slowly, she got to her feet, blankets wrapped around her like a cocoon. "It's not that cold," she added.

"You're a bitch in the morning," Max quipped, pouting as she further stretched out her shirt.

"Just the morning?" Chloe asked, shuffling backward to the desk. She prodded the trackpad, waking the laptop up, and squinted at the time. "Oh cool, I still have a little before I have to go to work." She yawned and tugged the blankets up higher around her face. "The afternoon shift is so weird, like this bizarre in between period. Like, there's some customers that..." She tilted her head and listened for a moment, then walked over to the window. "Yo, there's these guys out in the yard with a truck looking at the totem pole thing." Max cocked an eyebrow and slid out of bed, giving a dramatic 'brrrr' for effect before joining Chloe at the window.

Outside, she could see two men looking the Tobanga up and down. They seemed to be wearing T-shirts with a logo on them. Max narrowed her eyes and touched her nose to the glass.

_This seems...interesting._

"Hey, wanna go be newsy?" She asked. Chloe looked back at her and smiled.

"Isn't that kind of our thing?" She let the blanket slip from her shoulders, offering an impish look.

"Yeah," Max chuckled as she began to get dressed, "I guess it kind of is."

* * *

By the time they had gotten dressed and outside, Principal Wells and Samuel had also joined the picture. Max was suddenly conscious of just how obvious their snooping was. Why else would they be meandering around the courtyard when nothing else but a discussion...or what was increasingly looking like an argument, was taking place there? Thankfully, and also to her frustration, Chloe solved the problem immediately by heading straight for the others.

_Subtle as a bomb._

"Hey, Ray!" Chloe greeted enthusiastically, startling Principal Wells as she clapped him on the shoulder. "What up?"

"Oh my goodness," he said, touching a hand to his chest. "Miss Price, it's a pleasure to see you but please don't scare me like that again." He focused on Max, who had settled in next to Chloe. "Hello, Max. How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm good, Principal Wells!" She said, giving a smile. "Chloe and I had a slumber party but we noticed something was going on out here."

"A slumber party..." He said with an amused snort. "I should have known you two would show up right now. You seem to have radars for anything relating to the Prescotts." He pointed at the pickup truck. "It seems that Sean Prescott..."

"They're taking the Tobanga," Samuel interrupted, frowning as he nervously rubbed his forearms. Principal Wells shot him an irritated look, then sighed.

"It _seems_ ," he stressed, continuing from where he was cut off, "Sean Prescott doesn't think it's suitable décor for our campus and wants it removed."

_That's the dumbest thing I've heard in the last half hour._

"He can do that?" Chloe asked. "I dunno, I think it's kind of cool."

"Not really," Principal Wells responded. "Hey!" He called to one of the men who was unraveling a thick rope. "Mr. Prescott is a valuable patron of this academy, but he doesn't _own_ it. He can't take the Tobanga." The other man, who was leaning inside the truck, backed out and came over to them.

"Look, Ray," the man said. "You and I both know Sean is losing his mind right now trying to keep what little control on everything he has left. The guy is neck deep in investigation and you know as well as I do, they're going to find _something_. But he is by far the biggest contributor to the school. If getting rid of this piece of junk keeps your funds from sliding, even if only temporarily, just say yes and move on."

"Why does he want it removed?" Max asked. The man slowly turned his gaze toward her, then looked at Wells to gauge whether or not she was worth answering to. Principal Wells only nodded.

"Kid, I have no clue. Like I said, the guy's losing his marbles." He turned around and shouted for the other man to start situating the rope.

"He blames it," Samuel said, staring up at the totem pole. Chloe began to laugh, but as Max also gazed up at it, she felt strange in her stomach.

_Always feels like it's looking at me._

"It's part of Blackwell's history," Principal Wells began to say, then sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can't afford to lose any funding right now. Just take the damned thing but...try not to destroy it. Once we wash the Prescott branding out of here, I'd like to see it returned."

"Sure thing, we're just going to toss it in a dump somewhere. It'll be waiting, I'm sure." The man said, then turned around to go help the other worker.

Max, Chloe, Wells and Samuel stood and watched as the two men tilted it, using ropes as a pulley system, and lowered it into the bed of the pickup truck. They then secured it with the rope, strapping it down the same way the man at the Christmas tree place had done in Chloe's truck.

"The Prescotts are fucking weird," Chloe said, earning a chuckle from Principal Wells. The truck pulled away, slowly maneuvering through areas not meant for vehicles.

"You can say that again." He took in a deep breath. "How are you, by the way? I haven't talked to you since you were in the hospital."

_I never knew he visited her in the hospital._

"You know me," she said. "Getting into all kinds of trouble. I've been skipping class _a lot_ lately." She grinned at him deviously.

"Would you believe me if I said I actually missed that attitude of yours sometimes?" He asked.

"Not even a little," she replied. She shrugged. "No hard feelings on the whole expulsion thing. I kinda deserved it."

"Maybe," he said. "But I still believe you have a bright future, Miss Price." He looked at the now empty spot where the Tobanga stood only moments before and frowned. "Well, I should go call Michelle. She's...not going to be happy. I'll see you girls around." He began walking away, taking a second to once again glance at the spot and shake his head, muttering 'fucking Prescotts' before moving on.

"You okay, Samuel?" Max asked. He had remained mostly quiet, though he was obviously upset about what had taken place.

"The squirrels liked the Tobanga," he whined. "Samuel did too."

"Well, you heard the principal," Max said. "Someday we'll get it back. Once we're done cleaning up all the blood on the Prescotts' hands." Samuel seemed to sincerely consider those words, then shook his head.

"Not even Samuel could clean up that much blood."

* * *

"But I don't wanna," Chloe huffed, kicking her feet as she sat on the bed. Max snickered and sat beside her, resting her head on her shoulder.

"I don't want you to go either, but you need to make money so you can keep buying me stuff," she said. Chloe shot her a 'how dare you' look, but then conceded with a nod. She leaned in to give Max a kiss on the cheek, but jolted at a sudden knock on the door.

"You guys in there?" It was David's voice.

_The heck does David want?_

"We are!" Max yelled back. The doorknob started to twist, but it stopped.

"Are you...decent?" He asked.

"Yes dude," Chloe answered with a laugh. "Come in!" David was wearing his Blackwell uniform, which Max had decided progressively looked stranger and stranger on him. He seemed to be nervous, keeping his eyes on the floor rather than aimed at them.

"Uh, look..." He said, finally bringing his eyes up to regard Chloe. He had his hat in his hands and was bundling the bill up. "I hate this, but I think we might be about to get into a fight..." Chloe leaned forward and cocked an eyebrow.

_That's not a great way to start a conversation._

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I was talking to some of my cop buddies today and...one of them said they saw you with Frank Bowers?" He showed his gritted teeth, clearly hoping for a no. When Chloe shifted uncomfortably, he sighed and threw his head back. "Chloe, why are you hanging out with that guy? He's bad news."

"He's not a bad guy," she said. "Frank and I have been friends for a while. Me, him and Rachel hung out a lot."

"I understand but..." He dragged a hand forcefully over his face, his nose springing back into place. "I don't know. He's a drug dealer, Chloe. You don't need to be around that."

"Not anymore," she responded. She was remaining very cool and even toned, which Max assumed was because she understood exactly why David would be uneasy. She was being reasonable. "He used to be, but he's not anymore. He's made a lot of changes since Rachel..." She hesitated for a moment. "Died."

_Tag me in!_

"He's rough around the edges," Max said, deciding to give her input, "but I can promise he is a sweet guy. And he's trying really hard to get his life together. We're trying to help him do that." David took in a breath and closed his eyes, hating that it might not be as simple as he had hoped it'd be.

"Dammit..." He said it quietly. "I just don't feel comfortable knowing you're hanging around him."

"Listen," Chloe said, standing up from the bed. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I need to get to work, but I'm willing to have this discussion, okay? I totally understand why you feel the way you do."

"Okay," he nodded with a defeated expression. "I'll walk you out." Chloe whipped around to give Max a goodbye kiss, and then the two were gone. Max released the breath she had been holding and slowly stood up from her bed.

_I should see what Kate's up to..._

Her eyes were drawn to the journal on her desk. She made a small sound of recognition.

_Once again, I've been neglecting you. Okay, I'll write a little bit first. Let's put on some tunes..._

With Kate on her mind, she decided on In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, setting the record so it began to play. She sat down at her desk and cracked the book open, tilting her head to the side to relish the first notes of King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1. She began to write.

_January 5th,_

_Two days without an update! I am the worst journaler ever. I guess there hasn't been a whole lot to say, but not in a bad way. Since NYE, Chloe and I have spent pretty much every day just savoring being together and doing whatever strikes our fancy. It feels so good to consistently wake up next to her. It's going to be hard to adjust when school starts back up. :(_

_I love that crazy girl. And she IS cray! Last night when I was taking my shower, I felt this big woosh of cold air and realized someone pulled the curtain open. There she was, looking all mischievous and predatory. I can't believe we..._

_I probably shouldn't write this down in case this ever ends up in the wrong hands! Bad Max! X_X_

_The only other thing of note has been Kate. We've been spending as much time with her as possible since the big blow up. The poor girl is stuck in some sort of limbo with her family now. I KNOW I shouldn't, but I guess part of me feels guilty since it was technically me and Chlo's fault. I just hope she finds the peace she's looking for and soon._

_Ya hear that, God!? I expect a guardian angel on her doorstep tomorrow to help her figure this out, because I'm honestly clueless. Send them express, plz._

_Other then that, nothing else has really happened. Some people showed up today and took The Tobanga. You know, even after everything, I think part of me is kind of glad it's gone. It always made me a little uncomfortable. Who knows, maybe I'll end up missing it?_

_That's enough for now, I think. It was so nice catching up! Say hi to the family for me!_

_Max, you are a weirdo._

_Love, Max_

She flipped the cover of the journal closed and dropped the pen as if to say 'boom!' From the corner of her eye, she noticed a photograph further near the back of the desk. She could tell it was the one of her and Chloe as kids that Joyce had given her for Christmas. Carefully, she picked it up. Now as she looked at it...she sighed, lovingly connecting the dots in the timeline that led her from that moment to this one. Recently she had realized that she had gone an entire day without even thinking about all that had happened during that week. It didn't last, as the next day brought with it new opportunities for remembrance, but it was a calming feeling to know she was progressing.

_Alright, time to check up on my Kate._

* * *

"Why, thank you!" Max said, beaming at Kate as she handed her a cup of tea. She slowly inhaled it, giving a thoughtful 'mmm!' at the scent. The little blonde chuckled as she took a seat on the floor.

"I keep thinking I should find another chair," she laughed.

"Nah," Max said, patting the carpet beside her, "I kind of like the vibe." She took a sip of her tea. "So, how's everything going with...you know, home?"

"My dad has been trying to patch everything up. I had lunch with him today. I just don't know..." A sound of disgust rumbled in Kate's throat. "My mom's not going to just change her mind. That's clear to me. As much as I believe in forgiveness, this one is...hard." She sighed. "The way she was disrespectful toward you two. To me!"

_Yeah, that was definitely up there on the list of 'times I've been the most angry.'_

"Has she said anything at all to you?" Max asked.

"Not a peep. I don't know if my dad has told her to give me space or if she just doesn't care," Kate replied. Max had wanted to interject with the usual, say something akin to 'of course she cares, she's just bad at showing it' but for the first time in her life, she thought that might be a lie. Instead she stayed silent and let Kate keep talking. "It is hella dumb."

"Look at you," Max teased, "sound so dangerous!"

"Dangerously lame," she responded, snickering into her tea as she drank. "We will figure it out, I just hate the waiting. Don't hate me, but I kinda wish school was back just so it felt like I was supposed to be here and everything was...you know, normal."

"As much as...no, I don't want it back, I can definitely see why you would." She stared into her cup for a second, then giggled. "You know, you and I haven't really talked about it, I don't think." Kate regarded her curiously.

"About what?" she asked.

"Well," Max shrugged, "you know. The whole 'two girls kissing' thing." Kate let out a 'ha!'

"I think any time frame for _that_ conversation has been long gone," she laughed. "It never bothered me that you two were together, it was just the clash of that with everything I had been taught that threw me off. I mean," she held out one hand, her brows crinkling in annoyance, "I don't think Jesus would care. He loves everyone, right?"

"That's what I've heard through the grapevine, yes," Max replied with a chuckle. "Didn't Jesus like, turn a bunch of water into wine? Something tells me that guy was pretty chill."

"Exactly!" Kate flailed her hand. Suddenly, both of the girls' phones chimed with a text tone. Max dug hers out of her pocket while Kate retrieved hers from the across the room.

**Victoria:** Did you guys see the email about the new photography professor?

**Max:** What! No! Who is it?!

**Victoria:** Some lady I've never heard of. Margaret Waters? who tf?

"Doesn't ring a bell to me either," Max said, glancing up from her phone to Kate. The blonde shook her head.

**Max:** I got nothing. I'll have to check out the email.

**Kate:** Me neither

"That's exciting though," Kate said. "You guys will finally be able to have a photography class again. I'm sure it must have felt kind of...pointless to be here without it?"

"A little, yeah." Max began tapping on her phone, navigating to the mailbox. "It just felt like I was falling behind when everyone else was on the right course." She began to skim the email. "It looks like she has pretty impressive credentials, just nothing of notoriety to the public eye."

"That sounds good," Kate said with a tint of bitterness. "We don't need another celebrity teacher."

"Agreed," Max said. Then their phones beeped again.

**Victoria:** BTW u guys better get the red carpet ready to roll out

**Victoria:** I was so bored here I swear to god. I said fuck it and I'm flying back laaaaate tonight. I'll be there bright and early in the morning!

**Victoria:** I will be waking you to get me breakfast

Max looked up from her phone and felt a rush in her stomach at the smile on Kate's face. Almost a little spooked, she slowly turned and stared at the picture of Jesus on Kate's wall.

_Uh...thanks?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Sorry about the wait, guys. I really, really appreciate your patience these days. It means a lot to me.
> 
> I hope everyone had a good holiday! I for one am thrilled to be done with 2016 and onto a new slate for improvement. I have some things to share for those of you who don't follow me on Twitter.
> 
> Ouroboros turned 1 year old on December 18th! How CRAZY is that!? I still can't believe it, committing to a project for that long is such a huge deal for me. I actually wrote up a little blog post about my year and experience with writing this story, which you can check out here: http://lifeisstrangefans.com/destruction-creation-a-year-of-ouroboros/
> 
> Aaaaand if you haven't heard, I'm lucky enough to be collaborating on a new story with MaiQueti! If for some reason you don't know, she's the one who did the cover for Ouroboros among many other incredible pieces for Life is Strange, and she also is a writer herself. I highly recommend her stories, especially Life is Hella Weird. I am SO excited to bring our story to you guys - I really have an incredible amount of faith with what we're doing. Thanks to Life Is Strange Fans, we even have a super rad teaser for you to check out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z0KyjJkBQ8
> 
> I know it's probably not even worth mentioning since I've had the pace of a snail recently anyway, but I will be diverting most of my attention to that story so we can have it out sometime this month. Hope ya don't mind! Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll catch you guys soon!


	43. You In January

An airhorn tore through the peaceful silence, ripping Max from slumber as her head jolted off the pillow. Chloe's kneecap thrashed into her lower back, sending sharp stars along her spine. Squinting and in pain, her eyes focused on a figure standing in the center of the room, arm extended out with something in their hand. She blinked a few times, and the image became clearer, revealing Victoria staring at them with an almost disinterested look. Her thumb tapped the screen of her phone, and the air horn sounded off again.

"Wow, what a bitch," Chloe muttered, her breath tickling along the back of Max's neck. Victoria smirked and drooped her head.

"You guys should really lock your door," she said.

_What an amazingly shitty way to let us know you're back. I'm going to have a bruise from Chloe!_

"We usually do," Max replied, allowing her head to fall back on the pillow. She smiled. "Hey, Vic. We missed you."

"Yeah, I did until about a minute ago," Chloe grumbled. "Go back to Seattle, demon."

"Missed you guys too," Victoria said, tilting her head impishly. She looked around the room for a moment, then sighed. "It's nice to be back." She held the phone out to Max and hovered her index finger near the button on her air horn app. "You guys want breakfast?"

"Oh god," Max chuckled, thrusting her arm out in a failed attempt to stop her. "Please don't, my head will fall apart."

"Then get up!" Victoria laughed, hopping up and down impatiently. "Come on!" Without waiting for a reply, she took a step toward the bed and clutched the blankets, her eyes glimmering mischievously.

"Wait, wait!" Max protested, flailing her arm again. "We are...not clothed." She narrowed her eyes and sleepily grinned as Victoria backed off with her hands up.

"Of course," the blonde huffed, rolling her eyes. "How long do you need? I can fuck around on the internet for a bit."

"Three hours," Chloe mumbled against Max's skin, her arms sliding around the girl's hips as she snuggled into the warm bed. Max giggled as Victoria's eyes angled to the back of her head.

"Fifteen," Max said. She moved one shoulder in an attempted shrug. "With wiggle room."

"Fine, fine," Victoria pouted, moving toward the door. She gave Max a serious look. "Fifteen with two minutes of wiggle room." She pointed at her. "If I hear so much as _one_ moan of pleasure through our shitty, thin walls, I will wake you up every night with this thing." She jostled the phone in her hand, then walked out the door.

"Victoria's back," Max mockingly cheered quietly.

"Yep..." Chloe said flatly. She snickered, then took in a breath, releasing an over the top, _very_ loud moan.

"I'm not even in my room yet!" Victoria's muffled scream leaked under the door.

* * *

"Three minutes to spare, I'm impressed," the blonde said, opening her door. Max stared at her dryly, before cracking a smile and holding her arms out. Victoria returned it and ducked into Max's open arms, giving her a tight hug. "I actually did miss you guys," she said. Her chin resting on Max's shoulder, she looked at Chloe. "Even you, I can't believe it."

"You make it sound so lovely," Chloe snarked, laying a hand to her chest. She bared her teeth in a smile and took the girl in her own hug. "Yeah, I did kind of miss your pompous, little ass."

_It's like they have their own language. Bitchanese?_

"Oh shit," Chloe said, backing out of Victoria's embrace. She grabbed the girl by the wrist and held her arm up. "Look at you! You got your arm back!" She jerked it left and right. "How does it feel? Did they give you any cool cybernetic implants?"

"Yeah," Victoria laughed, pulling her hand free. "Check it out." She held her hand up and concentrated on it, slowly curling all of her fingers inward but the middle one. Chloe nodded her head with a chuckle.

"Guess I deserved that," she admitted.

"But seriously," Max said, "how does it feel to finally have a hand again? Is it weird?"

"It was a little at first." Victoria spread her fingers out. "But I got used to it in like a day. The novelty sort of wore off pretty quick." She held a hand out in explanation. "Although I did spend like, I don't know, an hour clapping. Just clapping, like a total idiot." She brought her hands together in demonstration, shaking her head with a smile.

"I guess it's the little things," Max laughed. "What time did your flight get in?" She peeked over Victoria's shoulder to see the clothes strewn about on her bed.

"Two hours ago?" She posed it as a question, glancing at her phone. "Yeah, two hours. I slept for most of the flight though, so I'm pretty awake." She clasped a hand to her stomach. "I haven't eaten yet, I was waiting for you guys! Can we please get something to eat?" She frowned a little. "Where is Kate, by the way? It doesn't seem like she's in her room. I wanted to surprise her. Sounds like she's had a...fucked up time lately."

_That's an adequate description. Hopefully you can help make her feel a little better..._

"I think she mentioned something last night about getting breakfast with her dad," Chloe said. "She had lunch with him yesterday but I guess the guy is trying really hard to mend fences." Victoria's frown deepened and she turned to go into her room, with Max and Chloe following.

"So she probably won't want to eat then," she said. Her posture went rigid and she turned to them with a look of disgust, holding her hand out like a claw. "I cannot _believe_ her mom freaked like that. I'm just blown away that people like that really exist and aren't just...made up stereotypes."

"I was...pretty surprised myself," Max admitted, her lips quirking sadly. "You should have been there, it was completely crazy. All because me and Chloe are together." She glanced at her girlfriend, who simply shrugged. Victoria had moved over to her desk and was fiddling with papers before she fell still.

"You know, Kate actually told me..." Her fingers twitched restlessly. "She told me she was suicidal and that she told her mom and her mom just...didn't fucking care." Her brow furrowed as her eyes showed sparks of anger. Max nodded weakly. "I think if I was there, I might have actually attacked her." Her voice was deadly serious.

"Well," Chloe rocked her head back and forth, "I mean, I feel like we have decent proof that that's definitely in your wheelhouse." She pointed at her hand. Victoria puckered her lips as she once again examined her hand.

"It's just..." She nervously blew out a big breath and plopped onto her bed. Her face briefly showed a pained expression, then she looked back at the girls with tears in her eyes. "Kate told me all about this thing, right? But I guess, I don't think she really realized what she was admitting to me?" She angled her eyes at the floor and played with her hands. "I know at this point I have kind of an unhealthy complex with protecting her. Guilt and all, you know. I don't think she realized what she was _really_ saying when she told me she was suicidal." Max closed her eyes and sighed, pressing a palm against her face. Chloe shifted uncomfortably.

_Oh. Dammit, Vic..._

"Yeah," Victoria said in response to her reaction. "That...that sure fucking hurt." She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling. "Gonna take a while to get over that one. I mean, I do know it wasn't _just_ me. Nathan and Jefferson were the...main culprits, I guess. But I played my part and I played it pretty fucking well. It's...I've been trying _so_ hard not to think about it. I think I might completely derail if it gets in too far." She worked up a small smile. "I can't believe that girl has forgiven me. It'll take me a lifetime to forgive _myself_ and she does it in an instant. Like it's no big deal. I swear, she is a fucking saint."

"Darn it!" A disappointed voice swept in from the doorway. The three girls turned in unison to find Kate standing just outside the room, an annoyed look on her face. She held a shiny, gravity-defying string in one hand, leading up to something obscured by the door frame. "I was hoping I could have a surprise for before you got back!" She stepped into the room and carefully pulled down on the string, bringing the balloon in with her. The metallic backside was visible at first, but it slowly spun until multicolored, balloon styled letters spelled out 'welcome home!'

Max looked just in time to see Victoria's reaction. Jaw hanging open, eyes wide, still as a statue. Still, something in her big, dark eyes was swirling chaotically. It was that same energy Max had seen in Chloe's so many times before.

_Victoria...you...you've got it really, **really** bad. Wowser._

"Sorry," Kate shrunk under their gaze, "is it dumb? I thought it'd be nice, but..."

"No," Victoria said, shaking her head. "Kate, that's...really sweet." She stood up from the bed and shambled toward her, as if her legs weren't in her control. Chloe backed out of the way, shooting Max a quick smile with raised eyebrows. Victoria wrapped her arms around Kate and nestled her face in the girl's shoulder. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too," Kate replied, closing her eyes as she settled into the embrace. Her cheeks took on a rosy pigment. Taking the opportunity while she could, Max responding to Chloe's look with one of her own, barely able to resist the urge to excitedly flail her hands.

_Oh my GOD, this is so cute!_

"I'm sorry you've been having such a rough time lately," Victoria said. She breathed deeply, strengthening her grip around Kate. The girl didn't respond immediately, instead letting her head fall to the side to rest against Victoria's. Then, as if she'd forgotten where she was, it snapped back straight and her blush deepened.

"It's...it's okay," she said. Victoria finally released her and looked her in the eyes.

"We'll help you get through it," she said, light and comforting. Kate nodded with a somber smile.

"I know." Her voice was very quiet. She cleared her throat and held the string out to Victoria. "Here. I'm glad you're back." The girl took it, looked up at the balloon and shook her head.

"Thank you," she replied. "It's..." She quirked an eyebrow, as if finally remembering they weren't alone and slowly turned to Chloe. The punk stared back, her lips tight in a straight line, visibly holding down a grin. Somehow, that made Victoria relax. "It's ridiculous how adorable you are," she finished, rolling her eyes at Kate. She chuckled in response.

"I guess," she said, shrugging. Then she gasped in excitement. "Oh! Your hand!" She grabbed it and looked it over, joy etched across her face. "I'm so glad you finally got that thing removed!"

"You have no idea." Victoria made a sound of disgust. "Next time, I'm only going to kick." She held up a foot menacingly.

"I'd just like to point out," Max interjected, raising her hand, "that you woke us up with a fucking air horn to get breakfast and I remain breakfastless." Victoria glared at her.

"Excuse me for having a moment to be welcomed back," she growled. " _You_ didn't get me any balloons!"

_Oh my gosh, you drama queen._

"I didn't know that was part of the deal!" Max shouted back, her lips curling up playfully. "I didn't get that memo, alright?!"

"Well, _maybe_ you're just not that good of a friend!" Victoria shot back. Chloe sighed and stood beside Kate, slinging an arm over her.

"Good morning, Chloe!" Kate said to her, closing her eyes as she smiled. "Is it weird that I'm so used to this?"

"Morning," Chloe said back, squeezing Kate's shoulders affectionately. "Also, nah. It's all part of our lovely, little dynamic."

* * *

"I can't believe this is where you decided to come," Chloe droned, staring at Victoria with a slack, neutral expression. "It's my...fucking day off!" She held her hands out like 'why!?' growing more animated with each word. Victoria shrugged, stabbing her fork into the omelet and making a grandiose show of the bite she took.

_Chloe should just get an air mattress and sleep here...when she's not sleeping with me, of course._

"You sure you don't want anything?" Max asked Kate. She had only ordered a cup of tea.

"Yeah, I ate with my dad already. But I always have room for Earl!" She waved her hand over the mug. "He is just so reliable." She sighed dreamily.

"How'd that go? The dad meeting?" Victoria asked after sticking her tongue out at Chloe.

"It went okay..." Kate scowled as she tore open a packet of sugar. "He's trying so hard. It's like now I'm mad at my mom for putting him in this position." A little smile bloomed in her cheeks. "Although, it was kind of cute..." She looked at Max. "He was asking me questions about...you guys? How it..." She snickered. "Works, I guess? He's showing a lot of willingness to try and understand."

_That's...actually really fucking cool of him._

"Well, that's interesting," Chloe mused, tapping her fork to her lips. "Did you tell him that before we kiss, we have to sacrifice a goat and bathe in its blood?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

_Don't forget about the ritualistic chant. It won't work without the proper chant!_

"I left that part out," Kate said, waving a hand dismissively. "Figured it's best not to overwhelm him." Victoria sputtered into her drink and turned to eye Kate.

"I would have never expected you to say something like that a few months ago," she said.

"I probably wouldn't have, but..." She shrugged. "I'm different now."

"Is that good or bad to you?" Max asked. She let herself fall sideways, putting her weight on Chloe.

"Definitely good," Kate said with conviction. "I mean, maybe some stuff is a little..." She huffed as if exhausted, "hard to figure out, but you guys have definitely changed me for the better. I have fun now?" She giggled.

"Fun is good," Chloe agreed. "I'm a fan of it, anyway." She groaned and let her head hit the bench behind her. "This fucking song plays all the time."

_OH, is this the song you're always humming with a pissed off look?_

"I like this song," Victoria protested, turning to regard the jukebox. "It's catchy."

"STD's are catchy too," Chloe replied with annoyance. "I swear to fucking god, like ten times a day. I want to take a baseball bat to that thing."

"Yeah, let's...not get fired," Max said slowly, patting Chloe on the knee reassuringly. The girl grunted and crossed her arms.

"Oh shit," Victoria suddenly said, her eyes wide. She grabbed her phone. "Max, have you seen any of this Waters chick's work?" The brunette shook her head. "It's actually...kind of amazing." She swiped around on her phone for a moment, then turned it so Max could see. It was an exceptionally bright and colorful photo of a field of wildflowers. She couldn't help but notice how drastic the comparison was with Jefferson's famous black and white work.

_It's definitely a good change of pace. Who says colors can't be stylish and artsy?_

"That's a great shot," Max said, taking the phone so she could examine more closely. "You been looking into her?"

"Mhm," Victoria muffled with a mouthful. She swallowed and pointed at the phone. "I mean, she kind of goes all over the place with style. Portraits, landscapes, black and white, color." She excitedly tapped Max's hand. "She even has an entire collection of instant stuff, totally up your alley." Max 'oooh'd!'

"That's so awesome," she said, handing the phone back. She sank against the seat. "Man, I am so ready to have a good photography class. Gives me a little motivation when it's time to go back."

_It certainly would make all the other classes a bit more bearable._

"I hear ya, sister," Victoria replied. "I took some okay shots back home, I can show you later if you want."

"Definitely," Max said. "I think even just having someone to talk shop with would be great at this point." She turned to Chloe and rested her hand on the girl's arm. "No offense, babe."

"None taken," Chloe chuckled. "You know I'm the first to admit I don't know shit about picture taking." She held her hands to her face, pantomiming a camera. "I enjoy the finished product, but...yeah." She turned her attention to a young girl walking toward the jukebox, watching with interest. The girl went onto her tiptoes, studied for a moment, then inserted change. With a press of a button, she turned and skipped back to her seat. Then the song that was _just_ on started to play. Chloe's eyes went wide and she lurched forward, slamming her hands on the table, looking at the other three wildly. "I'm going to slit my throat if we don't leave in the next twenty seconds."

_That's a bit of an overreaction._

"Oh no," Kate said, somewhat horrified. Victoria narrowed her eyes and slowed her movements as she reached for her glass, a subtle smirk on her lips. Chloe shook her head emphatically.

"I am not even playing," she said, though there was laughter in her voice. "I will beat you to death with my spoon."

"Your girlfriend's kinda violent," Victoria said, aiming her gaze at Max. The brunette smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around Chloe's before resting her head on her shoulder.

"I know, isn't it cute?" Max asked.

* * *

After breakfast, with an almost silent impulse, they decided to go to the shore. It wasn't the same section that Frank often stayed at, but one that was set up as sort of a communal area. There were a plethora of benches, two gazebos and a worn, but still quite extravagant fountain in the center. Max, Victoria and Kate sat on a bench backwards while Chloe took her spot on top of the picnic table, her feet planted on either side of Max. Off the in the distance, the waves softly tumbled from big to small.

"I think it's colder here than it was in Seattle," Victoria muttered with a pout, pulling her jacket tighter. "Winter is such a drag."

_I'd love to know what winter did to you to make you hold such a grudge._

"But there are pretty good photo ops," Max said, her eyes scanning the surrounding area. "Even the air is different, like, visually." Victoria sighed and moved her head back and forth in surrender.

"Yeah, okay, fine," she snorted, "suffer for my art. Woo-fuckin'-hoo."

"Oh, hang on," Kate said, clapping a hand to a pocket on her coat. She dipped her fingers in and retrieved her phone. A sad smile appeared on her face. "Aw, it's Abby. Just saying she hopes I'm doing okay."

_Poor Abby. I hope she and Lynn aren't getting caught up in this too much._

"Abby's cool," Chloe said, cupping a hand around her lighter as she lit a cigarette. She frowned around it. "I hope we didn't...influence her too much." She couldn't help but sound a bit deflated. Kate shifted herself so she could see the blue haired girl.

"Oh, please. It'd be a blessing for her to get any influence at all from you. Don't..." She growled in frustration and put her hands on her head. "I am _so_ mad that my mom made you feel that way!" Chloe took a deep drag of her cigarette, shaking her head as she blew out smoke.

_It just seems...unnatural to see Kate so angry._

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to open that up. I just thought of it and I have a big mouth." She leaned forward and gently ran her fingers through Kate's hair, pulling a collection of strands neatly behind her ear. "Don't worry about it, seriously."

"It's so awful," Kate charged on, her forehead creased in anger. "I just...I can't get over it! It's just constantly going in the back of my mind!" She laughed incredulously. "I told her I was having thoughts of killing myself and..." She flailed her hands in the air, like that was enough to complete the sentence. Max noticed Victoria shift uneasily.

_Ah man. She really doesn't realize how that sounds._

"I'm sorry, Kate," Max said, entirely unsure of how to diffuse the conversation.

"It's just ridiculous," Kate continued. "I mean, am I selfish for expecting at least a _little_ bit of understanding and love?" Her hands curled into tight fists, the red from the cold draining to white. Again, Max noticed Victoria look away as she fidgeted. "She couldn't have given me something!? I was _so_ depressed! I wanted to die! I didn't want to be alive anymore to have to deal with everything!"

"Fuck this," Victoria muttered, standing up from the bench. She crossed her arms and focused on Kate. "I'm sorry, okay?" Her voice was bitter. "I am sorry! What do you want from me!?" Kate recoiled, flipping from rage to a very confused fear in a heartbeat.

_Woah, where the hell is this coming from?!_

"What?" She asked. Victoria held out and arm, as if pointing to the answer, then let it fall and slap against her thigh.

"I'm sorry I made you want to die, Kate! Trust me, I feel like shit!" She moved her hand violently with each word, causing Kate to flinch each time.

"Why...are you yelling at me?" She asked in tiny sounds, huddling in on herself and looking as though she might cry.

"Woah, Vic-" Chloe began, but Victoria cut her off.

"Oh, shut the fuck up," she barked, rolling her eyes. Chloe was so taken aback, she couldn't find a response. "I don't..." She shook her head in disbelief, "I don't understand what's happening. How you say you forgive me so easily. I'm a shitty fucking person, alright? I can't tell if you all just pity me or what the _fuck_ is going on. I know for fucking sure you can't possibly think of me as a friend. Not after what I did." She looked away, her jaw tight. "God dammit," she hissed, kicking a rock across the lot.

_You are out of fucking control. What the hell is going on?_

"Well, _I_ thought we were friends!" Kate shouted angrily, now standing up as well. She relaxed a bit and released an acidic chuckle. "I _actually_ thought...nevermind." She brought her lips together tightly enough that they changed color. Victoria whipped around quickly, not a trace of anger in her expression. Regret had taken root instead.

"Kate," she said, raising her hand, "I didn't..."

"You know what?" Kate stared at her harshly, as if summoning the nerve. " **Fuck you,** Victoria." She turned quickly on her heel and stormed off.

"Oh my god," Victoria merely breathed the words as she slapped her hands to her temples. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"What the hell is your problem?" Max asked, looking at her with disgust. She stood and turned to Chloe. "I'm gonna go make sure she's alright." Chloe only nodded, her eyes wide and focused on Victoria.

* * *

"God dammit, I'm so fucking stupid," Victoria cried, still clutching her head. Chloe closed her eyes and pulled on the cigarette, mulling over her plan of action. She actually thought she might be shaking a little. She wasn't used to seeing her friends get into it with each other.

"Okay, so," she said, opening her eyes. "Why? Just...why?" Victoria turned to her.

"I don't know! I don't know why I did that!" She ground her teeth, pressing her hands into her eyes. "Fuck!"

"It was rhetorical. I know _why_ ," Chloe said. "I invented the whole 'act like a bitch in an attempt at self-preservation thing.' Trust me, I see right through that shit. I just...fucking _really?_ " She craned her neck, almost in awe.

"What the fuck," the blonde fell back onto the bench and buried her face in her hands. "I just...I feel so bad about it still. I care about her _so_ much. Do you know how bad it hurts knowing that I did that to her?"

"Well, making her feel like shit is a great way to cure that," Chloe whipped icily. "Yes, I do know exactly what it's like." The thought of Max in the Dark Room swayed through her mind. She focused on it, crushing it to death and silence. "Believe me," she said. "I fucking know."

"What do I do?" Victoria asked, almost begging. Chloe held up her hand, her brows knitting together.

"Go...fucking talk to her and fix it," she said it like it was obvious. She slid from the table onto the bench next to her. "Listen, Vic. Do you love her?" Victoria froze, her eyes huge as she stared at the ground.

"I don't even know what that _means_ ," she replied desperately. "What the fuck is love?"

"You said earlier that you'd do anything to protect her. And that includes from yourself, right?" Chloe asked. Victoria's non-answer was enough of one. "Right," Chloe nodded. "You feel all...like you're going to ruin their life. Like you're nothing but poison for them." She hadn't noticed she switched from singular to plural, from her to them. She laughed somewhat darkly. "Well, guess what, it's not your fucking call. Only they can decide what they want. Kate forgives you." She nudged her roughly with her elbow, bringing Victoria's eyes to meet hers. "She does. You think she'd get you a fucking balloon if she still had any resentment?" Chloe took one last drag and flicked the cigarette away, then ran her tongue along her top row of teeth. "Man, Max mentioned that you were insecure but I had no idea it was this bad. Giving me a run for my money."

"What am I supposed to say to her?" The blonde asked.

"Be honest," Chloe said. "Just...tell her that you're still kicking the shit out of yourself about it."

"How honest am I supposed to be?" She asked, the anxiety in her voice very evident. "I just...I just want her to be my friend still."

"Yeah," Chloe sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I know." Victoria grimaced at her.

"I'm...sorry I told you to shut the fuck up," she said. Chloe flitted a hand.

"It's cool. Like I said, you're playing _my_ game. I know you didn't mean it." She stood up and grabbed a hold of Victoria's arm. "Come on, you need to fix this."

* * *

"I just don't understand," Kate said, wiping her sleeve across her nose as she cried. Max sat with her arm around her, trying her best to be comforting.

"I know," Max said. "I...really don't either. I _really_ don't." From the corner of her eye, she saw Chloe and Victoria walking toward them. The look on the blonde's face was enough to show the fullness of her regret, though the extra wave of pain in her features when she saw that Kate was crying definitely cemented it. She glanced at Chloe, who only fluttered her eyes closed as if exhausted and saying 'ridiculous.'

"Kate...?" Victoria stood in front of her, seeming about two inches tall. The girl looked up at her, still only giving a look of bewildered betrayal. Victoria sighed and knelt down before her. "I'm...well, sorry really doesn't even begin to cover it." Max decided to give them some room and took her spot next to Chloe, just a couple feet away.

"Why did you say all that?" Kate asked, her lip still trembling. "What did I do?" Victoria took a deep breath and cautiously reached out, taking Kate's hands into her own.

"I just...kind of lost it. I know you don't do it on purpose, but it...talking about being suicidal. You have no idea how much that hurts. I really care about you, you know? So getting reminded of what I did before..." She clamped her eyes shut. "Ugh, I might start crying, sorry."

"Don't cry," Kate said, concerned as ever. Victoria's eyes shot open.

"Really?" She asked, almost laughing. "I can't believe this..." Her eyes angled upward as she thought. "I don't know how to say any of this. But, yes, I know you said you forgive me. I do know that. But it's really hard for me to believe. Not because of you, but because I know I wouldn't." She scrunched her lips to the side. "I don't think I deserve to be forgiven. Especially not now, knowing _all_ of it. I try to just not think about it, but it's always there."

"I really do forgive you though," Kate said it with a bit of whine.

"You're...amazing. Like, completely just fucking amazing." Victoria stumbled a bit on her words. "And that...really scares me." The end of the sentence trailed off into a whisper.

"Why?" Kate shook her head, still not understanding.

"Because I don't want to hurt you," she said. "I'm not like..." She huffed. "I'm so bad at this." She breathed out slowly, trying to steady herself. "Do you know why I freaked out on that reporter?"

"Because he was harassing me," Kate answered. Victoria gave a half nod.

"Yeah, but...it's also because I really care about you." She looked down at her hands, safely wrapped around Kate's. "Really care about you," she repeated, scowling at the words. "It doesn't...sound right."

"I care about you too," Kate said. Victoria shook her head in frustration.

"I know. I know you do," she said. "And I'm so lucky that you do. But, I think...I'm scared that I'll do something wrong and hurt you because I _really, really_ care about you. All I want is a smile on that pretty face of yours at all times." Like magic, Kate grew a tiny smile. "Yes, exactly like that." Victoria returned one of her own. "It's my favorite thing in the world. I don't..." She turned to Max and Chloe, her mouth open and eyes pleading for help.

"Vic." Kate tugged their hands toward her, snatching Victoria's eyes back to hers. "Please, talk to me. I want to understand what's wrong."

"I'm trying," Victoria laughed in a desperate rhythm. "I swear to god, I am trying so hard. But I suck at this. I don't know how to say any of it. I don't know how to tell you that I cried myself to sleep when you told me you thought about killing yourself. I don't know how to tell you that I think about you all the time. Or how I came home early _just_ because I missed you. I don't know how to say that I think you're beautiful and mean it not just in a supportive, girl to girl way. I just have no fucking idea how to explain that I have _feelings_ for you. Romantic ones that scare the shit out of me." She released what could only be described as a horrified and disappointed gasp as she realized her words.

A deafening silence filled the area as they stared at each other, each with gigantic eyes. Victoria glanced down again and jerked her hands away from Kate's in a panic.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I..." She cringed at Kate's confused expression. "I didn't..."

Kate audibly gulped, uncertainty flickering across her face. She closed her eyes, the corners crinkling in thought. Victoria was just about to back away when Kate slid forward off the seat so that she was on her knees as well. She leaned forward just a hair, then backed away. She was still for a moment, their eyes locked together. She nervously licked her lips, reached out and placed a hand on Victoria's shoulder. Then, eyes closed, she leaned forward again, softly planting her lips on the corner of Victoria's mouth.

"Um..." Victoria blinked, completely stunned. "What...was that for?" Kate shrugged with a tremendous amount of nervousness.

"I...I thought that's what we were supposed to do." She looked down. "Was that bad?"

" _Katie_ ," Victoria's voice was a strained whisper, "do you want to kiss me or do you just feel like you're supposed to?" It seemed like the wrong answer would shatter her then and there.

"I want to," Kate replied, still seeming utterly terrified. "Really badly," she added, again pulling her eyes away from the girl in front of her. "It...is scary," she said. "I'm _really_ confused."

"You want to kiss me?" Victoria asked again, a bit louder but no less fragile. Kate slowly met her gaze and nodded shyly. Victoria's breathing seemed to catch in her lungs. "Okay," she nodded and moved forward carefully, her hand finding a home on Kate's cheek. And then their lips met.

Standing not far away, Max and Chloe both turned away, flustered and guilty of staring. Chloe clawed into her waist.

"Oh my fucking god," Max whispered as quietly as she possibly could, shocked beyond belief. Chloe was identical, but she still had it in her to lean in close to Max's ear.

"You absolutely owe me twenty dollars," she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh hey, what's up? How have you been?
> 
> It's been a little bit! I guess three-ish months? Sorry about that! There's a list of reasons that could wrap around the world twice, but I'll just leave it at "real life is crazy" and "writing other things!" I do apologize for the wait, sincerely.
> 
> Annnnnywho, how about that chapter? It's official, Kate Marsh and Victoria Chase are touching lips and saying they like each other! This is kind of a big chapter, I guess, so I do hope I've delivered on all the hype. I know I've been building up to it since like, chapter 11 or something insane like that. The whole ChaseMarsh aspect of this story started as an exercise in morbid curiosity, so it feels kind of cool to finally reach this point. With Max and Chloe, their relationship was established before I even began typing. It was kind of a get out of jail free card. It's been pretty fun to build a romantic relationship from the ground up and convince people (and myself!) that it was actually believable. Hope so, anyway! And of course, I won't suddenly stop writing about them. Really, this is only the beginning. We'll see how the relationship develops from here, for sure.
> 
> And for those who may be wondering about Play Crack the Sky, the fic I'm writing with MaiQueti, I can say that we're getting very close! Turns out the process has taken a bit longer than an anticipated, partially because, as I've said "real life is crazy" but also because the story itself has far exceeded what either she or I expected in scope. We originally were laughing in disbelief that it might be 40k words, thinking that was absurd for what we were trying to do. Then whoops, it...really just soared passed that mark. But! I can say that I am REALLY excited to share it with you guys. It is very different from Ouroboros, but I've never been more proud of something I've worked on. I hope we can get it to you all soon enough. And if you didn't know, MaiQueti has done a cover AND two amazing art pieces for scenes in the story. You can peep those on her deviantart, which is linked in my profile. Or just google search it, whichever is easier for you!
> 
> As for Ouroboros and the next update? It'll certainly be muuuuuch sooner than this one. I think I should be able to start sliding into posting regularly again pretty soon. I say soon a lot. Which sounds like politician speak because it just kind of means whatever the hell it means. Hmm. Still, it'll be here before ya know it. And, I really appreciate everyone's patience while Ouro has sat in stasis. I know it sucks, but it does mean a ton to me that you've been so understanding. Hopefully it was worth the wait :)
> 
> So! As always, thank you so, so much for reading and dedicating any of your time to this. I'll see you guys with the next update!


	44. Bonus: Texts #4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: New little batch of text messages! I hope at least one person understands the WoW one :p Hope you enjoy and I'll see you guys for the next update!

**Max:** Chlo  
 **Max:** I have a really important question for you.  
 **Chloe:** what is it sweet child o mine  
 **Max:** Will you...  
 **Max:** Be my...  
 **Max:** Valentine?  
 **Max:** :*  
 **Chloe:** fuck u max god dammit  
 **Max:** Wow, honestly not the response I was hoping for?  
 **Chloe:** i have glue on my fingers bc i was makin you a cute card  
 **Chloe:** to ask  
 **Max:** Oh, I'm sorry! You can definitely still give it to me.  
 **Chloe:** just gonna drink the rest of the glue  
 **Max:** Chloe!  
 **Chloe:** YEAH ILL BE YOUR VALENTINE

* * *

**Warren:** So...Kate and Victoria are a thing now?  
 **Max:** Yes but I think it's kind of on the low. You're the only person they said I could tell.  
 **Warren:** Wow...  
 **Warren:** It's kind of hard to wrap my head around it.  
 **Max:** Tell me about it. I've seen them kiss! Three times!  
 **Warren:** THREE!?

* * *

**Chloe:** will u go with me to my dentist appt?  
 **Chloe:** i always get nervous  
 **Max:** Of course babe  
 **Chloe:** thank you  
 **Chloe:** something about getting stabbed in the mouth over&over just puts me off  
 **Max:** And they're always so condescending. "You should floss more."  
 **Max:** Maybe YOU should floss more, dentist man.  
 **Chloe:** mhm u tell em

* * *

**Taylor:** what you up to  
 **Max:** Hey! Waiting for Chloe to get back for food. Late dinner tonight :(  
 **Max:** What about you?  
 **Taylor:** idk I've been watching these youtube videos where people put stuff in lava  
 **Max:** That sounds kind of awesome?  
 **Taylor:** It is but have you ever really seen lava?  
 **Taylor:** it looks delicious  
 **Max:** I don't think your digestive tract would appreciate eating lava  
 **Taylor:** Don't crush my dreams plz  
 **Max:** I think as your friend, I'm gonna have to crush this one

* * *

**Chloe:** blackwell is real eerie without any students  
 **Chloe:** like just u, me, kate, vic, samuel  
 **Chloe:** that monster man that looks up thru the shower drain  
 **Max:** Dude I am in the bathroom right now  
 **Chloe:** oh tell him i said sup

* * *

**Victoria:** Has Kate said anything?  
 **Max:** For the millionth time, no. She has not 'burst into divine flames of regret.'  
 **Victoria:** That can happen! I've read about it!  
 **Max:** You know, if you want this to really become a relationship, you'll have to talk to her about this stuff.  
 **Victoria:** It makes me so mad that you're actually the best source of information with this  
 **Max:** Trust me, it's super weird for me too.

* * *

**Chloe:** i cant wait until mom and david go on their trip  
 **Chloe:** have a whole house to ourselves!  
 **Chloe:** ILL NEVER WEAR PANTS  
 **Max:** You BARELY wear them anyway.  
 **Max:** Every single morning it's like I have to explain why you need to.  
 **Chloe:** dont like em

* * *

**Max:** Hey Evan! Are you excited for the new photography teacher?  
 **Evan:** She seems okay. Her early work is far better than anything she's done the past few years but I suppose every artist needs to change their style at some point. It's just a shame she didn't keep up with the industrial focus as I find her shots in that genre to be quite fascinating. Her portrait skills are rather weak, though I do think her last few have a noticeable improvement over her initial foray into that space.  
 **Max:** Right...

* * *

**Chloe:** hey guess what my favorite flower is  
 **Max:** I feel like I should know this :/  
 **Chloe:** cauliflower  
 **Max:** Wut?  
 **Chloe:** cuz they grow in a caulfield  
 **Max:** Insert groan here  
 **Chloe:** later

* * *

**Dana:** You're coming to the game right?  
 **Max:** Yeah, I'll be there. Only cuz you asked so nicely.  
 **Dana:** Yay! It'll be fun promise!  
 **Dana:** I'm nervous about our new cheer so it makes me feel better to know you'll be there  
 **Max:** I'm sure you'll do great!  
 **Max:** Bigfoot pride and all that  
 **Dana:** Don't be too enthused

* * *

**Chloe:** the one downside to still using cds is they start skipping  
 **Chloe:** nothing like being in the groove and and and and and and and andandandnandnansdndnsnd  
 **Max:** That's what you get for being a caveman

* * *

**Courtney:** Sorry I totally derped and did vertical video but  
 **Courtney:** thats my little bro opening his presents! Isn't he precious?  
 **Max:** Oh my god, so cute! Look at that smile!  
 **Max:** Who is the guy with his belly hanging out on the couch?  
 **Courtney:** UGH UNCLE ARNOLD  
 **Max:** I like his mustache

* * *

**Max:** These glow in the dark guitar picks are so cool omg  
 **Chloe:** did you literally wait until i had to work to play?  
 **Chloe:** i wanna hear!  
 **Max:** Soon! Promise, soon.  
 **Chloe:** fiiiiiiiine  
 **Chloe:** picture me sighing real long and big  
 **Chloe:** fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine  
 **Max:** I got it, Chlo.  
 **Chloe:** how did u even make it dark enough to glow  
 **Max:** I didn't, I just keep stopping and cupping it in my hands to peek.  
 **Chloe:** your such an adorable weirdo

* * *

**Kate:** Max! What are you up to?  
 **Max:** Pretty sleepy. Chloe and I were about to head to bed.  
 **Max:** What's up? You okay?  
 **Kate:** Yeah, I'm okay! :) Just a little wired so I can't sleep.  
 **Kate:** Are you and Chloe going to do sex?  
 **Max:** GOODNIGHT

* * *

**Max:** I found your toothbrush on the floor  
 **Chloe:** yea in case the carpet wanted to get sparkly white  
 **Max:** …  
 **Max:** I got you a new one.  
 **Chloe:** thx gorgeous

* * *

**Warren:** Max you need to CONTROL YOUR GIRLFRIEND  
 **Max:** Oh god, what is she doing now?  
 **Warren:** She has fallen off of Teldrassil THREE. TIMES.  
 **Warren:** I'M LOSING MY MIND  
 **Max:** How is that possi...dude, we're HORDE? How!?  
 **Warren:** FOUR FUCK IM GOING TO DIE

* * *

**Chloe:** hey whats that song you keep playing when we make out  
 **Max:** Which one? You know I made a whole playlist right?  
 **Max:** See, I don't know if that was a weird thing to admit  
 **Chloe:** how many songs is it?  
 **Max:** I'll check  
 **Max:** 34  
 **Chloe:** WOW  
 **Max:** You know what's fucked up  
 **Max:** We've made it through the whole thing three times

* * *

**Max:** So do you and Warren have anything fun planned for Valentine's Day?  
 **Brooke:** If we do, I'm not aware of it yet. Maybe he's planning something.  
 **Max:** Totally! You know Warren, always on the ball. Always thinkin with that big brain.  
 **Brooke:** I know, he's so cute. Now I'm excited to see what he comes up with.  
 **Max:** Yeah haha

* * *

**Max:** Wanna go on a date tonight?  
 **Chloe:** fuck yes! what do you wanna do?  
 **Max:** Let's see a movie! I've been wanting to see Her or the new Paranormal Activity  
 **Chloe:** is her the one where he fucks his iphone?  
 **Max:** You have such a talent for making things sound unappealing  
 **Chloe:** so thats a yes then  
 **Chloe:** iphone sex or moving furniture 4  
 **Chloe:** lets see both  
 **Max:** Okay! If I get scared will you hold me?  
 **Chloe:** well see

* * *

**Warren:** Alright guys, serious talk here  
 **Max:** Lay it on me.  
 **Chloe:** no dont thats my thing  
 **Chloe:** whats up warbin  
 **Warren:** What color lightsaber would you have?  
 **Max:** Oh of course it's not actually serious.  
 **Max:** I should know better with all of you by now.  
 **Warren:** Excuse me? I've never been more serious about anything.  
 **Chloe:** i believe that  
 **Chloe:** i guess blue  
 **Max:** I want mine to change colors.  
 **Victoria:** That's not how they work.  
 **Chloe:** lol the fuck did u come from

* * *

**Max:** CHLOE  
 **Max:** CHLOE I HAVE CALLED YOU FOUR TIMES  
 **Max:** ANSWER  
 **Chloe:** woah woah whats going on? i cant answer right now  
 **Chloe:** are u okay? i can duck out real quick if you need me to  
 **Max:** You left your fucking bowl on the nightstand and GUESS WHO DROPPED BY FOR A CHAT  
 **Chloe:** if u say david i will literally throw up right now  
 **Max:** Yes of course fucking David!  
 **Chloe:** was he mad? disappointed?  
 **Max:** He didn't say anything. He just picked it up and looked at it on his way out the door.  
 **Max:** I froze, I didn't know what to say! I'm sorry!  
 **Chloe:** i mean he has to know i smoke right  
 **Max:** On Blackwell property?!  
 **Chloe:** NOT HELPING NOT HELPING

* * *

**Kate:** Is it okay if I give Abby your number?  
 **Kate:** She thinks you're so cool. I'm a little jealous lol  
 **Max:** Yeah of course! And don't be jealous.  
 **Max:** She's still young. I used to think a lot of stuff was cool when I was her age.  
 **Max:** Now I just cringe. David Archuleta? What was I thinking  
 **Kate:** I don't know who that is but I'm sure they're very nice.  
 **Kate:** And you ARE cool! Stop being mean to yourself!

* * *

**Chloe:** ampycakm  
 **Max:** What babe?  
 **Chloe:** fructose badger  
 **Max:** WAT BABE?  
 **Chloe:** lol sry, phone going crazy in my pocket  
 **Chloe:** lmao what is a fructose badger

* * *

**Max:** Tay holy shit I am watching these videos with Chloe  
 **Max:** They put a soda can in it and it crinkled up but also the soda got hot  
 **Taylor:** I cant tell if you're making fun of me or not  
 **Max:** Omg no I am completely enraptured  
 **Max:** We should make it a group activity  
 **Taylor:** I think I've seen them all though  
 **Max:** Do you understand how big youtube is?  
 **Taylor:** do YOU understand how bored I was

* * *

**Max:** I keep thinking how weird it's going to be when school starts back up  
 **Max:** I'm developing a dependency on waking up next to you  
 **Chloe:** you are so fucking cute  
 **Max:** I've become a Chloe junkie  
 **Max:** I'll be showing up outside your house at 3am in a cold sweat like 'one more'  
 **Chloe:** ill be your dealer any day  
 **Chloe:** can we not use this metaphor?  
 **Max:** Yeah it got kind of weird huh

* * *

**Dad:** Did you get the pics?  
 **Max:** Yes! I'm sure Mom will love them.  
 **Max:** It's so cute how you guys still go all out for Valentine's Day  
 **Max:** Gives me something to aspire to  
 **Dad:** Seeing the way you look at Chloe, I don't think you'll have much of a problem.  
 **Max:** Really?  
 **Dad:** Trust me. I'm wise.  
 **Max:** That's true.  
 **Max:** Well, since you're so wise I'm sure you'll remember to take the price tag off the earrings.  
 **Dad:** Oops. Good catch!

* * *

**Max:** Kate and Victoria just held hands and I fucking shrieked  
 **Chloe:** ur going to scare them off, they're like skittish animals  
 **Max:** I don't care, do you have any idea how long we've had to wait for this!?  
 **Chloe:** good point. call me and put me on speaker so i can shriek too.

* * *

**Max:** Hey. I KNOW how you are so just thought I'd give a fair warning.  
 **Max:** Brooke definitely thinks you have an elaborate plan for Valentine's Day.  
 **Warren:** Wait what? Why does she think that?  
 **Max:** I don't know, man. You know how girls are.  
 **Warren:** What did you do  
 **Max:** I'm hurt you'd assume I had anything to do with it  
 **Max:** Also I asked if you guys had plans  
 **Warren:** Oh man  
 **Max:** And then instead of smoothly backing out I doubled down and told her you did  
 **Warren:** OH MAN  
 **Max:** So I'm sorry but also start planning.  
 **Warren:** Crap dude. Fine...  
 **Warren:** When is it?  
 **Max:** I can only help so much

* * *

**Chloe:** frank like  
 **Chloe:** "oh golly chloe i aint so smart at the vidya games"  
 **Chloe:** just want his help figuring out this puzzle its like hes braindead  
 **Max:** He doesn't even sound like that  
 **Chloe:** "he dont even sound like that nope, gosh he dont"  
 **Max:** You get so bitter when Zelda treats you poorly  
 **Chloe:** fuckin elf music PUSH THE BLOCK

* * *

**Courtney:** Btw how's the hair?  
 **Max:** It's kind of faded already but now it looks kind of badass.  
 **Courtney:** Aw, didn't last very long. Let me know if you want me to touch it up!  
 **Max:** Are you officially my hair stylist now?  
 **Courtney:** Mhm  
 **Courtney:** And if you cheat on me with another barber I will kill them  
 **Max:** You went from zero to Sweeney Todd so fast

* * *

**Chloe:** we need a new cook at the two whales whaaaat the fuck  
 **Max:** You should train so then you can make me foods!  
 **Chloe:** o im sorry princess is my cereal pouring game too weak for you  
 **Max:** You do spill it a lot  
 **Chloe:** wow i feel so attacked rn

* * *

**Dana:** Maxxxxxxx I need a partner for Trevor's V-Day gift!  
 **Max:** Please elaborate  
 **Dana:** rofl  
 **Dana:** No, you perv.  
 **Dana:** I want to make him something homemade and thought it'd be a fun activity for you and I  
 **Dana:** Chloe will like it toooooooo  
 **Max:** Haha, sure Dana. I'll help any way I can.  
 **Dana:** YES  
 **Dana:** No takebacks!

* * *

**Max:** I think we're having a back to school party  
 **Max:** Not actually thrown by the school, just like our friends  
 **Chloe:** im not going back to school though  
 **Max:** Oh well yeah, you're not invited. I was just telling you.  
 **Chloe:** fine ill just crash it then

* * *

**Max:** Soooo are you guys girlfriends now?  
 **Victoria:** What? I don't know!  
 **Victoria:** Are we!? What have you heard?  
 **Max:** Holy shit  
 **Max:** Will you calm down?  
 **Victoria:** I MADE THE RELIGIOUS GIRL GAY  
 **Victoria:** HOW CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HOW STRESSFUL THIS IS

* * *

**Max:** I just had the craziest flashback  
 **Max:** Do you remember when we made that slingshot and you shot my dad with that penny?  
 **Max:** The perfect red circle it left on his cheek. I'm laughing so hard.  
 **Chloe:** yea! omg lol  
 **Chloe:** wait  
 **Chloe:** he never gave it back  
 **Max:** He did not.

* * *

**Victoria:** So I'm supposed to be working on this paper  
 **Max:** Ew, you got homework? For what class?  
 **Chloe:** dont be silly, vic doesnt have any class  
 **Victoria:** Ignoring you.  
 **Victoria:** Brit Lit, Max.  
 **Kate:** I already finished mine, I can help you if you want.  
 **Chloe:** hi kate how are you  
 **Max:** That suuuucks. I didn't get any assignments.  
 **Kate:** I'm hella ok Chloe, how are you?  
 **Victoria:** Katie please yes help  
 **Chloe:** im good!  
 **Chloe:** help your gf kate  
 **Victoria:** Ignoring you.  
 **Kate:** I will :)

* * *

**Chloe:** FUCKING BOOB SWEAT ON MY HANDS NO  
 **Max:** You have boob sweat on your hands that isn't mine?  
 **Max:** What sort of salacious behavior are you up to?  
 **Chloe:** no its fuckin  
 **Chloe:** the girls that stick their money in their bras  
 **Chloe:** THERE IS SNOW ON THE GROUND WHY IS THE MONEY DAMP  
 **Max:** Please wash your hands

* * *

**Max:** When tf are you coming back bro?  
 **Max:** BRO  
 **Max: >**:(  
 **Warren:** When break is over?  
 **Warren:** Why are you being aggressive at me?  
 **Max:** I MISS YOU BRO  
 **Max:** D:<  
 **Warren:** I'm picturing you flexing in a tank top in front of a mirror with tub of protein powder under your arm.  
 **Max:** Who says I'm not

* * *

**Chloe:** hey im bored and your taking a shower and told me i couldnt come with  
 **Chloe:** horrible gf  
 **Chloe:** o nice you left your phone here of course  
 **Max:** your right chloe im a horrible gf!  
 **Chloe:** i know max but maybe next time youll let me tag along  
 **Max:** absolutely i dont know what came over me  
 **Chloe:** oh i know what will come over you heheh  
 **Chloe:** okay im dirty texting myself this is getting really weird  
 **Max:** it is  
 **Chloe:** oh god please still love me after you read these

* * *

**Frank:** Hey this is out of nowhere but how is Kate doing?  
 **Frank:** been thinking about her a lot lately.  
 **Max:** She's...very good, actually.  
 **Frank:** Really? that's great. She got everything sorted with her folks?  
 **Max:** No...  
 **Max:** That part just got way more complicated  
 **Max:** Remember how her resolution was to 'figure herself out'?  
 **Frank:** yea...  
 **Max:** I think she may have.

* * *

**Max:** I assume you will be compensating me for the film you used last night.  
 **Chloe:** i think u mean thanks for the sexycute pics chloe theyre the best ive ever seen?  
 **Max:** No, if you look closely at your phone you will see that those sentences are very different.  
 **Chloe:** wait r you serious? im sorry i can totally pay you back  
 **Max:** You better.  
 **Chloe:** how much is film again? i can try to find some after work  
 **Max:** I never said anything about money ;)  
 **Chloe:** ok  
 **Chloe:** u know i appreciate the cut of your jib  
 **Chloe:** but you just had me so fkin scared i upset u  
 **Max:** Aw, I'm sorry babe.  
 **Max:** I'll "pay" you back ;D  
 **Chloe:** YOU better

* * *

**Taylor:** Vic keeps mentioning this big thing she has to tell us but will only do it in person  
 **Taylor:** IT IS STRESSING ME OUT  
 **Taylor:** lol  
 **Max:** Really? I wonder what it is.  
 **Taylor:** uh huh pretend like you dont know  
 **Max:** So how about that snow it sure is everywhere  
 **Taylor:** It is  
 **Taylor:** just like your liessssss

* * *

**Max:** You know what's terrible?  
 **Chloe:** idk  
 **Chloe:** giant crabs with swords  
 **Max:** Uhh?  
 **Max:** I was going to say being without you but  
 **Chloe:** the crabs are pretty terrible  
 **Max:** They REALLY are  
 **Chloe:** and it sucks because they already have sword like hands to being with  
 **Max:** Hands?  
 **Chloe:** grabby crab hands yeah

* * *

**Max:** Hey  
 **Max:** Guess who me and Chloe just ran into at the grocery store  
 **Kate:** Who was it? Was it someone famous?  
 **Max:** Nope.  
 **Max:** Your mom.  
 **Kate:** Oh my gosh! Did she say anything rude to you?  
 **Kate:** I'll be so mad!  
 **Max:** She didn't buuuut...Chloe may have kissed me very dramatically in front of her.  
 **Max:** I'm sorry. She feels terrible about it. We know we shouldn't make this harder than it already is.  
 **Kate:** No...it's ok Max.  
 **Kate:** Maybe seeing love will actually give her some of her own.  
 **Max:** WOAH  
 **Max:** I am SO blaming Victoria's influence on that

* * *

**Chloe:** david caught me for a 'talk' when i stopped at home  
 **Max:** Uh oh. How'd it go?  
 **Chloe:** sigh. good and bad?  
 **Chloe:** he wasnt mad about the weed but he did ask where i got it  
 **Max:** Oh no...  
 **Chloe:** i didnt want to lie to him but now hes even more against hanging with frank  
 **Max:** I guess that makes sense but...you know. I wish he could just know that Frank is cool.  
 **Chloe:** yea...have to figure out how to convince him

* * *

**Trevor:** theres a full moon tonight  
 **Max:** Okay... Thanks Trevor? Haha you stoned?  
 **Trevor:** lol no in case u wanted to take pics of it  
 **Max:** Aw, I got you. I'll try and take one for you.  
 **Trevor:** I do that a lot now  
 **Trevor:** ill see something and be like bet max could take a sweet shot of that  
 **Max:** That's awesome! It's nice to be able to look at things from a new perspective.

* * *

**Max:** I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole and now I'm watching conspiracy videos about Elvis still being alive.  
 **Max:** They make some compelling arguments.  
 **Chloe:** well yea i mean hes hiding in the ice wall at the edge of the earth  
 **Chloe:** since its flat  
 **Max:** He's also a lizard person, that's why his hips move so snakelike  
 **Chloe:** cue the x files theme  
 **Max:** That song still creeps me out

* * *

**Alyssa:** Hey Max! Sorry I've been MIA all break. How was your holidays?  
 **Max:** Really nice! How about you? Looking forward to school starting back up?  
 **Alyssa:** Yep.  
 **Alyssa:** Just like I look forward to a root canal.  
 **Max:** So...pumped, then?  
 **Alyssa:** Ecstatic.

* * *

**Chloe:** call me asap something crazy just happened  
 **Max:** Okay give me five minutes. Are you okay?  
 **Chloe:** yea just...call me.

* * *

**Max:** Had so much fun last night! I'm glad you came out with us!  
 **Juliet:** Me too! I don't know why I don't do it more often.  
 **Juliet:** And that boy was pretty cute, huh? Do you know what his name was?  
 **Max:** Romeo  
 **Juliet:** lol  
 **Juliet:** But really, do you know it?  
 **Max:** No, seriously, it was Romeo.  
 **Max:** That's why were were laughing so hard and biting our thumbs.  
 **Juliet:** EW NO TELL ME YOU ARE LYING  
 **Max:** I am not.  
 **Juliet:** I want to die  
 **Max:** Shh no spoilers!

* * *

**Chloe:** good morning! sorry i didnt wake u up  
 **Chloe:** you just looked so fuckin cute, i couldnt do it  
 **Max:** I was so sleepy!  
 **Chloe:** i figured, you started growling when i started to move around  
 **Max:** Oh, I had a dream about wrestling a sumo wrestler  
 **Max:** I guess I was pretty into it?  
 **Chloe:** did you win?  
 **Max:** We called a truce and had tea instead

* * *

**Abigail:** Hi Max, Kate gave me your number. Is that alright?  
 **Max:** Hey Abby! Yeah, it's alright! How are you?  
 **Abigail:** I'm okay. Things are still kind of weird at home but I think they're getting better.  
 **Max:** That's good. Sorry again for...that. How is the boy situation going?  
 **Abigail:** I don't like him anymore, he makes weird noises when he eats  
 **Abigail:** Me and Cassie are friends again tho  
 **Max:** Lol that's good. Told you it'd sort itself out.

* * *

**Max:** I can't get over this record player  
 **Max:** Now I know how protective mothers feel with newborn babies  
 **Chloe:** next thing your gonna tell me u named it  
 **Max:** Lol that'd be so weird. Who would do that?  
 **Chloe:** ...what did u name it?  
 **Max:** Samson.

* * *

**Victoria:** Let's do something I'm bored  
 **Max:** Meeeh okay what  
 **Victoria:** Idk what are you in the mood for?  
 **Max:** There's that weird game closet in the common room  
 **Max:** Maybe there's something fun in there?  
 **Victoria:** Ew no I'm scared of that closet  
 **Max:** I kind of thought you had recently dealt with any issues concerning closets  
 **Victoria:** Max  
 **Victoria:** I hate you  
 **Max:** You loooove meeee

* * *

**Chloe:** would u still love me if i was a slime monster  
 **Max:** What in THE hell  
 **Chloe:** this is important to me  
 **Max:** Yes, I would.  
 **Max:** Seriously though what  
 **Chloe:** thanks max i knew you would  
 **Max:** Chloe wait

* * *

**Max:** So...hanging out with Victoria tonight huh?  
 **Kate:** Yeah, I think it's clear we need to talk about some things.  
 **Max:** Definitely, yeah.  
 **Max:** So if you need me or Chloe you can just shoot us a text, okay?  
 **Kate:** Okay, thank you! We might watch a movie or something, I'll let you know!  
 **Max:** Right. But if you need us for anything else  
 **Kate:** Like what? I don't think I understand  
 **Max:** Basically we'll rip Victoria's hair out and feed it to her if she upsets you  
 **Kate:** Oh! That's very scary. Please don't do that.  
 **Kate:** I...really like her hair.

* * *

**Max:** I've been thinking about this whole roadtrip with the RV thing.  
 **Chloe:** oh?  
 **Max:** Yeah. Maybe this summer we can try and convince Frank to take us somewhere?  
 **Chloe:** omg yes! yes yes yes lets go...  
 **Chloe:** lets go to kentucky!  
 **Max:** Why Kentucky?  
 **Chloe:** idk it was the first place that came to my mind lets go there!

* * *

**Justin:** angry max  
 **Max:** Angry Max, huh?  
 **Justin:** yea gotta be careful with copyright stuff you kno  
 **Max:** Eh, I can break it in. How's tricks?  
 **Justin:** good u know i mean its hard with the snow but  
 **Max:** Lol it just means what's up, Justin. How are you?  
 **Justin:** does it really  
 **Justin:** can i use that??  
 **Max:** Of course, why wouldn't you be able to?  
 **Justin:** copyright stuff man gotta be careful

* * *

**Chloe:** hey cutie it looks like its going to storm pretty hard so text me if u need to  
 **Chloe:** in case it gets a little scary  
 **Max:** Thanks Chlo. You're the best.  
 **Chloe:** second to you  
 **Max:** Cavities

* * *

**Warren:** Fine, what are YOU doing for Chloe?  
 **Warren:** Should I tell her you're going to pluck stars from the sky and gift wrap them for her?  
 **Max:** I already did that for Christmas  
 **Max:** But! I do have some stuff planned, but I'm still not sure how it'll go yet because I'm kind of nervous.  
 **Warren:** Remember when you were nervous about Christmas and then you nailed it? Don't be nervous.  
 **Max:** Thanks, dude. You're always there for motivational support.  
 **Warren:** Of course.  
 **Warren:** Now tell me what the fuck to do for Brooke

* * *

**Chloe:** i cant stop seeing it  
 **Chloe:** it just plays over and over  
 **Chloe:** i think im losing it  
 **Max:** Chloe, I'm so sorry. Please come over as soon as you can. We can talk about it. I can help.  
 **Max:** PLEASE  
 **Chloe:** i think i forgot what his voice sounded like


	45. The Take Over, The Break's Over

"It feels like we're on a stakeout," Max laughed quietly, drawing her legs beneath her as she rested back on her palms.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble for being up here?" Kate asked, looking to her left to take in the sight of the campus. "We...probably aren't supposed to be."

"I mean, there was a ladder underneath it so clearly it's okay," Chloe said, giving Kate a small pat on the shoulder. Victoria cocked an eyebrow and smiled at her.

"You  _put_ the ladder there. Just wait until Samuel notices that it's missing," she said. She glanced at her phone and sighed. "It's not even noon yet. What...are we even doing?"

"Waiting for friends!" Max replied, slowly reclining onto her back. "I...think, anyway. Who's coming back today?"

"Taylor and Courtney," Victoria said, situating a cigarette between her lips. "Warren's a maybe. Said either today or tomorrow." She lit it, took a few quick puffs, then handed it to Chloe. "Probably other people too but I think that's like, our little group."

_Aw, it feels good to have a 'little group.'_

"You ready to tell them the big news?" Chloe asked, lighting a cigarette of her own off of Victoria's. "You know, about..." She narrowed her eyes and handed it back to her. "Whatever's going on here." She lazily gestured at Kate and Victoria.

"Uh..." Victoria shook her head, then pulled her knees to her chest. She scowled. "Not really, no."

"I think Chloe was subtly trying to get info out of you," Max chuckled, staring up into the mellow, gray sky. "Like, how's the kissing thing going and all that." Victoria huffed frustratedly, resting her cheek on her knee.

"We're taking it slow," Kate interjected, saving the girl from being flustered further.

"You know," Chloe laid down next to Max, "this isn't really how I pictured this dynamic working out. I figured you'd be the shy, awkward one with Vic being..." She grinned. "Well, Vic."

_Me too. It's kind of cute how overwhelmed Victoria is about it. Guess it just means she really cares._

"You expected this to happen?" Kate asked. She puckered her lips. "It was a surprise to me."

"We knew months ago," Max replied. "So frustrating. It was like watching Sims bump into each other and then go off doing something completely irrelevant to what I wanted them to do." She made a 'tsk' noise. "You guys were peeing all over the floor for months." She snickered as she raised her hand. "You know, metaphorically." Kate 'hmm'd' thoughtfully.

"Well," she said with a small shrug, "I don't know. I guess it just feels nice to not...hide it." She gave a tiny smile. "There's plenty of time for me to be awkward. I am pretty new to this, after all."

"This conversation sucks so much, oh my god," Victoria mumbled, angling her face into the crook between her knees. "I'm right here, you know." Kate turned to her, the smile building a bit bigger.

"Are you embarrassed?" She asked. It seemed like an honest question, though the tone of her voice prevented it from dragging the mood down. Victoria raised her head with wide eyes.

"N-no, I'm not...I'm not embarrassed! I just... There's a lot going on." She switched the cigarette to her other hand and, with a rather grumpy expression, took hold of Kate's. She exhaled forcefully through her nose and stared out at the parking lot. Kate's face lit up and she happily wound their fingers together.

"Hm..." Chloe bent her leg at the knee and rested her wrist on it. She turned to face Max. "Are we this cute? We're still the cutest couple around, right? I mean, I didn't incubate this thing for months only to be upstaged." Max sat up and gave Kate and Victoria an analytic look up and down.

_Uh oh. They may be formidable adversaries._

"I...think so?" She scooted a bit closer to Chloe and snaked her hand behind the girl's knee. "Maybe it's like a Highlander situation? Or..." Her brow furrowed. "Or Frankenstein. Have we created the monster that will be our eventual demise?"

"We need better friends," Victoria sighed, pulling Kate's hand a little closer to her. Kate rolled her eyes affectionately.

"Well, how many times have you kissed?" Chloe asked. "If we're going to fight to the death, we should keep a scoreboard." Kate thought it over for only a moment before shrugging innocently.

"Five," Victoria said plainly. Chloe's eyes got bigger as she burst into laughter.

"Wait, are you actually  _counting?_ I didn't expect a specific number." She kept laughing and turned back to Max. "They're coming for our title!"

_Why are you acting like you didn't count at first? I'm pretty sure we both did!_

"Five!? Really!?" Kate let out a quiet, yet excited squeal. "Oh my gosh, that's so many!" In response, Victoria's cheeks grew even pinker than they were, but surely she'd blame that on the cold.

As they waited, the conversation drifted from the exciting into more banal topics like school. They'd be starting classes again soon, which is why some students had begun returning. Three students, none of which the girls knew well, had arrived within the span of an hour, leading to some awkward greetings and explanations. Eventually, a car pulled into the parking lot that Victoria seemed to recognize.

"Ooh! It's Taylor!" She pointed at the car.

After a minute or two of watching her bob her head and sing in the car (something Max felt quite guilty about spying on) she got out, opened the back door and slung a bag over her shoulder. Just as she was about to reach the steps climbing up to the gym, Kate called out for her.

"Tay!" She waved her hand enthusiastically. Taylor searched around her for the source of the voice. She took cautious steps forward, climbing the steps with confusion clear on her face. Kate giggled, then called out again. "Taylor!" She looked up at the overhang above the entrance to the gym and raised her eyebrow.

"What are you... Y'know what? Nevermind. This is..." She sighed, then smiled as she walked over to the ladder, placing her foot on the first rung. "This is definitely Blackwell."

* * *

It wasn't too long after that that Courtney also arrived, greeted by the same cavalry perched above the gym doors, this time with the addition of Taylor. She offered a similar reaction – one of initial confusion followed by the warm acceptance of bizarreness that came along with a deeper bond of friendship. Kate had suggested that there wasn't much room left for Courtney to join them, so one by one they climbed back down the ladder. As they headed for the dorms, Chloe sneakily returned the ladder to Samuel's shed, making sure to remove the brick she had wedged between the door to keep it from closing.

Max, Chloe and Kate followed Victoria back to her room while the other two girls hastily dropped off their luggage. Once all six of them were in the room, Max couldn't help but feel the familiar happiness of having too many people you cared about crammed into too small of a space. Though she was still dreading the official end of break – knowing Chloe wouldn't be able to spend every night there again  _sucked_  – she did have to admit having everyone else back would make it a little bit easier.

"Kill me for saying this, but I'm actually a little happy to be back," Courtney said, plopping onto the couch next to Max. "Like, when I saw my room I got this little...'yay' feeling."

"Mmn, no, I understand," Taylor responded. She was lying on the floor with a small bundle of Victoria' laundry under her head. "It's nice to slide back into routine." She snorted. "Of course, once class starts back up I'll be climbing the walls."

"You guys had a good holiday, then?" Chloe asked. She was on the other side of Max, putting most of her weight into the brunette. "Did Santa get you anything nice?"

_Hmm...I wonder if Santa would have me as nice or naughty. Maybe it'd be impossible to decide. Maybe time traveling puts me under the 'what the fuck I don't even know' category?_

"It was okay," Taylor said. "Santa didn't get me a private jet so we're not really speaking at the moment." She held one foot up. "I got cute socks though."

"Ooh! So did we!" Max leaned forward from the couch and gave Taylor a high five. "How about you?" She asked, nodding at Courtney. "I've watched that video of Ethan freaking out like ten times. So adorable!"

"Yeah," Courtney snickered, "it was good. That was my favorite part, honestly." She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "New Year's was more fun though. I can't believe 2013 is over. It was kind of..." Her face twisted into something like surprise, "crazy."

"I think that's the nicest way of putting it," Kate said. She was sitting on Victoria's bed fiddling with the bottom of her shirt. "I'm glad it's over."

_I think we all are, Kate._

"I bet." Taylor nodded sadly. The atmosphere in the room grew a little weighty, but not too much before Taylor snapped into a sitting position and pointed at Victoria. "Okay," she said with a bit of sternness, "enough with the smalltalk. I want to know about this big thing that you refused to tell us over the phone." Everyone turned their attention to Victoria and an audible gulp could be heard from the girl.

"Yeah..." Courtney said, narrowing her eyes. "What's going on?"

_Oooh! Game time, Vic._

"Oh! Right! The...thing I needed to tell you guys..." Her eyes were wide as the gears in her head were obviously turning. She glanced at Kate, who only returned a teensy smile. Chloe clutched Max's knee and shook it, as if to say 'here we go!' "So, um, I got back here kind of early. I've been...hanging out with Max and Chloe and..." she took in a short breath, "Kate. And uh, we had this talk about some... _things_ and we kind of..."

"Oh my gosh," Kate burst into laughter, covering her face with her hands. "You're awful at this!" She slipped off the bed and stood next to Victoria. Taylor and Courtney gave each other a bewildered look. "We're dating!" The girls slowly looked at each other again as if checking to make sure they both heard the same thing.

"Now, when you say dating..." Taylor said, drawing it out as if Kate could complete the sentence for her.

"I mean, I don't know, labels are so-" Victoria started to say.

"Like she's my girlfriend!" Kate proclaimed with a smile. She grasped Victoria's hand and gave her a small nod of pride.

_Boom, labeled._

"Are you guys like, pranking us?" Courtney asked. Kate's smile faded.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Her tone was a bit incredulous.

"Well...I don't know, I just..." Taylor held her hands out. " _How_  would that even happen? What sequence of events could possibly lead to that? I mean, it's just a little hard to wrap my head around." In response, Kate huffed and turned to Victoria.

"Um, come here, okay?" She said softly, touching her hands to Victoria's cheeks. She closed her eyes and pecked her on the lips.

_Ohmigod so cute._

"Oh, hey!" Chloe called from the couch. "Six! Nice!" Victoria's eyes shot open and she whipped in her direction.

"Can it," she spat. "Has anyone ever told you that you're great at ruining the mood?"

"Yep," Max said casually, raising her hand. "It's a frequent topic of conversation." Chloe smiled with her tongue peeking through her teeth in response.

"Okay, wait, WHAT?" Taylor shouted. She was on her feet now. "You guys just kissed! With your mouths!" Kate's brows crinkled in annoyance.

"Hey," she grumbled, tugging Victoria's hand, "stop making me feel like I'm doing it wrong! I'm trying!"

"What?" Courtney shook her head. "Nobody's telling you you're doing it wr- no, WHAT is going on here!? What happened!?"

"Yes, explain yourselves this instant, young ladies!" Chloe added with a booming voice. She cackled quietly when Max slapped her shoulder.

"Okay, okay. I know how random this seems," Victoria said, holding her hands up defensively. "But just...I'll explain everything, okay?" She led Kate back over to her bed and sat down. She chuckled somewhat joylessly. "You ask what sequence of events could lead to this? Well..."

The room was dead quiet. On the bed, Kate sat with her head resting on Victoria's shoulder, holding her hand tighter than ever before. Chloe stared at the floor as she picked at the skin around her fingernails while Max rubbed her back comfortingly. Courtney looked as though she was trying her hardest not to cry while Taylor simply looked angry.

"Kate, no offense," Taylor said, breaking the silence, "but your mom's a fucking bitch."

_Seconded._

"I know," she responded quietly.

"I didn't...know how bad it had gotten," Courtney added, shifting herself uncomfortably. "I'm so...so sorry for everything. We were such assholes. I didn't know you wanted to..." She clamped her eyes shut and shook her head, then dragged a sleeve under her nose.

"I know that too," Kate said. "I don't blame you guys. It's just how things went."

"So, now you two are all caught up. And," Victoria leaned her head against Kate's, "I know I don't really have to ask, but don't tell anyone about all of that stuff. She doesn't..." Victoria sniffled as her lips bundled together. She drew her fingers through Kate's hair. "She doesn't need anything else tied to her reputation, okay?"

"Of course," Taylor said. "We fucked that up enough as it is, the least we could do is keep it from getting worse..." She turned to Max. "Her mom really said all of that shit? What the fuck?"

"Yeah, it wasn't great," Max replied. She noticed a bright semicircle of blood around Chloe's thumbnail and yanked the hand into her lap to prevent it from getting any worse. "Pretty...not great."

_Chloe..._

"So, what's happened with your parents?" Courtney asked, angling her head at Kate. "I mean, you escaped to here but...is it any better?"

"I still haven't spoken to her," Kate said. "My dad is trying really hard though and I've been talking to him almost constantly. I think..." She sighed. "I think it could get better, but now it's more complicated." She must have felt Victoria's cringing expression against her head. She moved so she could see into her eyes. "I don't regret this, okay? I'm prepared to leave whatever needs to be left behind for you." Victoria choked back a sob while still smiling and nodded, then touched her forehead to Kate's.

"Wow, that was fucking romantic," Taylor said with a big grin. "I can't believe this. This is definitely not what I was expecting when you said you had to tell us something."

"Seriously," Courtney added, "I thought it was just going to be some bullshit about the new photography teacher. I didn't expect..." She threw her hands in the air. "Whatever the fuck this is! Some kind of Satan magic!" Kate pried herself away from Victoria and looked at Courtney with half-lidded eyes.

"The religion thing is going to follow me for a while with this, isn't it?" She asked.

"It's sort of...too perfect not to, you know?" Chloe spoke for the first time since Victoria began recapping everything for Taylor and Courtney. "I love you but sometimes you just can't let a perfect opportunity get away from you." Kate stared back for a moment as if working it over in her head, then she bared her teeth in a smile.

"I know exactly what you mean," she said, turning to Victoria and adding another tick on the scoreboard.

* * *

They stayed in Victoria's room until late in the night, finally dispersing when both Kate and Taylor were having trouble keeping awake. In comedic fashion, they shuffled out of Victoria's room in single file before each shambling to their own. Max found it quite nice to have two more people with which she could squeal in glee at the sight of Victoria and Kate's goodnight kiss. Without much extra activity, she and Chloe snuggled closely together in bed, where she fell asleep peacefully.

"Psst, Max," Chloe hissed, stirring the girl awake. She blinked sleepily and found Chloe on her knees next to the bed, staring at her with huge eyes. There was a glimmer of mischief in them.

_This better be a dream._

"What's going on?" Max asked, fighting the magnet pulling her back down into slumber.

"Get up," Chloe whispered, "we're going to have some fun." Max raised her head and scowled.

" _Now?_  We can do that in the morning. I'm sleepy." Her head fell back onto the pillow and her eyes slammed shut.

"Not that kind of fun, you loser," Chloe chuckled. Max opened her eyes again when she heard something jingle. Dangling between Chloe's fingers was a keyring. Max suddenly felt much more awake as she pushed herself onto her back, then sat up.

"What...are those?" She asked.

"Keys!" Chloe replied, giggling when Max wasn't amused with her answer.

_Ooh, you smartass!_

"I can see that. What are they for?" She felt a nervous excitement bloom within her as she studied Chloe's expression.

"Well," the blue haired girl began, her voice lilting playfully, "earlier when I was in Samuel's shed, I just so happened to find this little stash of keys." She jangled the keyring. "These here are for the gym."

"You took keys out of Samuel's shed?" Max asked, pressing her palm to her face. "Why did you do that!?" Chloe cocked her eyebrow as if confused, then looked at the keys.

"Because...they say gym!" She smiled and pointed to them as if saying 'duh.'

"Okay," Max said, trying to remain calm, "I understand that part. But why would y-" She stopped when she noticed the two towels neatly folded in front of the door. "Chloe, no fucking way."

_You are completely insane._

"We need to have a rematch!" Chloe lulled forward and gently pressed her teeth into Max's knee. "Offers verf sharfs."

"I didn't think you were actually serious about that." Max placed her hand on Chloe's head. "What if we get caught?"

"David is the only one working security tonight and I'm pretty sure I can handle him." She stood up and scooped the towels into her arms. "Besides, I've been very well behaved lately. I feel like I've earned a coupon for one free misdemeanor."

_Ugh, this is so not a good idea on any level. But..._

Max checked the time on her phone, finding 2AM to be sufficiently late for Blackwell Ninja activities, and hung her head as she sighed.

"Not...for too long, okay?" At that, Chloe's face lit up. She pulled Max to her feet and squeezed her in a hug.

"Don't worry, we'll be in and out with no problem." She wiggled her hips a little bit. "I am the master of stealth."

"Uh huh, sure," Max responded. She worked up a smile. "Lead the way, delinquent."

* * *

"I don't feel great about how easy this is now," Max giggled as she turned the lights on in the pool. She turned to Chloe, who was resting against the door frame, and shook her head. "You've turned me into quite the criminal."

"I know, right? It's pretty hot." She stepped away from the wall and began walking toward the pool, pulling her shirt over her head as she did so. "Be grateful. I was going to suggest skinny dipping but even I'm not that bold." She tossed the shirt on the floor. "I also don't think I'd have the self-control to not maul you and, worst case scenario where we  _do_  get caught, I'm not down for having David see all that."

_Just thinking about it is making me cringe._

"You're so virtuous," Max mocked, hurrying up behind her to slap her rear. Chloe squealed and spun around.

"If you're so nervous, maybe don't make me make loud noises, eh?" She snorted and tugged her sweatpants off. "That's why we're keeping our underwear on, after all." Max removed her shirt, then regarded Chloe seriously.

"Are you baiting me?" She asked with dry suspicion in her voice. Chloe laughed as she stepped to the edge of the pool.

"Honestly, no. You know me well enough by now to know that no matter how badass I seem, I'm still nervous about getting caught. Let's..." she glanced over her shoulder and smirked, "not do that. Mkay?" And with that, she dove into the pool.

"Copy that," Max replied while Chloe was underwater. She tugged off her remaining sock and, with a running start, jumped into the pool.

"Oh man, feels so good!" Chloe laughed in excitement. She ran her hands through her hair, slicking it backward to get it out of her face. "So warm and nice. Why do they keep the heat on all the time? That's gotta be such a drain on money."

"Don't know, don't care," Max said, letting her buoyancy take her onto her back. "It'd kind of suck if we went through all of that and it was cold. We're already going to be freezing on our way back to my room."

"I'll keep you warm," Chloe said softly, drifting over to Max and pulling her against her. Max sighed dreamily and locked her legs around Chloe's waist, placing her face in the crook of her neck.

"This is...a bit different than last time, huh?" Max mused. She could feel the breath of a silent chuckle graze her ear.

"A bit, yes. Though, I can't say I wasn't thinking about it then. I was...so fucking nervous." She squeezed Max a little tighter. "I remember thinking how beautiful you looked."

_Same... You threw me off so bad when you just...took your clothes off like no big deal._

"You could have fooled me," Max responded. "I never knew you were nervous about anything. I always thought you were too cool for school." She groaned. "Can we pretend I didn't use that unironically?"

"Nooope," the blue haired girl said. "Totally going to tease you for it for at least a week. Though, you're not technically wrong." She was quiet for a moment. "You know, I really thought that whole 'otter in my water' thing was like, me confessing. It seemed really obvious in my head. But it...kind of wasn't, was it?"

"What!?" Max burst into laughter. "I mean, it was adorable but you seriously underestimated how tone-deaf I was with that stuff."

"Mhm." Chloe turned Max in her arms so that the girl's back was against her chest. She circled Max's waist with her arms. "That's why the next morning I was like, okay no, I'll really make it obvious this time. I'll dare her to kiss me!"

"And I  _still_ was ninety percent sure it was just you being crazy," Max admitted. She leaned her head back and stared at Chloe. "I'm pretty glad we ended up getting to the bottom of that mystery."

"Ooh? Me too..." She made an annoyed sound. "We're still not playing otters versus sharks. This is all dirty strategy on your part." With a grumble, she moved in to press her teeth against Max's neck. The brunette squirmed in pleasure and reached behind her to tangle her hand in Chloe's hair.

"I like your hair long like this," Max said. "I like it all ways, of course, but it's nice."

"That's good to hear but you're still trying to distract me," Chloe replied. She bit Max again, a little harder this time. She had a similar response.

_If this is losing, I'm totally okay with it._

"Fine, whatever, you win. You can do this all you want," Max snickered.

"Ha! Yes! Victory for the sharks!" Chloe rocked side to side, moving Max with her as ripples spread out from them. "I win fair and square."

"For a change of pace," Max snarked.

"Oh, you want to talk shit?" Chloe chuckled. "Fine. You want to see unfair..." She brought her teeth into the brunette's neck once again, and Max could feel Chloe's hand slip a little further down her stomach. Her fingers snuck beneath the band of her underwear and for a moment, Max was lost in the sensation. Then her head seized in alert and she sprung out of Chloe's grasp.

_You tricky bitch!_

"Wow, okay, that  _really_ isn't fair!" Max swam a few feet away and turned around. "Miss 'Oh-We-Must-Remain-Chaste-In-The-Pool!' Give me a break, you hypocrite!" She drew both arms back and splashed Chloe.

"Hey! I never said I wasn't one!" Chloe laughed as she splashed her back. "You know I have bad impulse control!" She submerged herself underwater and Max watched the distorted image of her wriggle toward her.

"Alright, Jaws, there's no need to be a sore win-" Max was sucked underwater by a surprisingly strong tug on her leg. Suspended there in the quiet of the water, she was struck with an odd feeling of calm. She opened her eyes and could make out the chlorine altered visage of Chloe right in front of her face. Softly, her hands found their way to Max's cheeks, and a second later, they were kissing.

They resurfaced at the same time, gasping for air and blinking the burn from their eyes.

"Tag, you're it," Chloe said, her voice strangled and breathy.

* * *

"Well, that turned out okay!" Chloe said victoriously as they approached the exit of the gym. "Shit, maybe we should make this a thing. It's kind of cool, right? The star-crossed lovers secret hangout!"

"We'll get caught eventually," Max laughed, pulling the door open and immediately shivering from the cold. "I mean, we're really lucky we didn't this time." She nudged Chloe in the ribs. "Do you need to lock up with that key?"

"Ooh, probably a good idea." Chloe patted her pockets, then pulled the keyring from them. "That way no one knows we-"

"I'll get it," a voice came from beside them, causing them both to yelp in surprise. David stood against the wall, his arms crossed as he stared at them. He held his hand out. "Keys." Sheepishly, Chloe dropped them into his palm.

"Uh, so, what's up Da-"

"Get your ass to sleep," he responded dryly, though the crinkle of his eyes showed a smile. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Um, okay, yes sir," Chloe stammered, locking her fingers around Max's arm. They hurriedly took off across the campus.

"Dude," Max whispered as they got closer to the dorms, "our secret hideout  _sucks._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I feel like the "WHAT YEAR IS IT!?" meme has become pretty appropriate for this story's update status. Anyway, hey! How's it going? Ouroboros is "officially" back! I can't make any promises that I'll be able to do the once a week thing again, but we're back on track for a somewhat steady release schedule. Decided to start off with a pretty chill chapter. Do forgive me if the rust is very noticeable. I might need to readjust to writing it. 
> 
> Reason being that I'm now able to put more focus on Ouroboros is because Play Crack the Sky is finally out! Some of you have even already read it, but for those that haven't, it would mean the universe to me if you'd check it out! MaiQueti and I are pretty freakin' proud of that thing, and we'd love to hear your feedback. You can check it out at the following links:
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/11195988/chapters/25001742
> 
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12530547/1/Play-Crack-the-Sky
> 
> Ooh! Something else pretty insane happened while I was away! Some of you have reached out to me about this, but Ouroboros got a shoutout on the official Square Enix E3 stream for Before the Storm! That is TOTALLY CRAZY and is honestly all because of you guys. That would never happen if not for all of your support, so thank you so much for once again providing a moment of surrealism in my life. So cool, I still can't believe it! 
> 
> I gueeessss that's really all I have for now! Hope to see you guys soon with another update and as always, thanks so much for reading!


	46. Apple

Chloe couldn't pick her eyes up off the floor. Out of agitation, she played with her fingers as she tried to ignore her nerves. It had actually been a pretty long time since she had felt this type of nervousness. The sort of burning ears and beginnings of an upset stomach that signaled a mixture of embarrassment and being ashamed. She glanced beside her to Max and found her in a similar state. She took in a slow breath, then finally looked up at David.

"Well," he said, his arms crossed, "I already know whose idea it was." He closed his eyes and gave a brief shake of his head. "What were you girls thinking?"

"You could make a strong argument that we weren't," Chloe said. She gave a wincing smile. She felt Max's elbow jab into her. "I...I don't know. It was just a bad idea. I'm pretty good for those." David rolled his head to the side as if he couldn't disagree, then turned to Max.

"Aside from breaking the law and whatever consequences that would have, you realize you'd be expelled, right?" Max nodded slowly. "Look, guys." He pressed his palm into the side of his neck, showing a visible reaction of relief at the pressure. "I'm not mad at either of you, but I am frustrated."

_That's...fair. Between Frank, the roof and the pool, I'm kind of putting him in a shitty position._

"You're right," Chloe said. "It really wasn't intentional to like, give you a hard time, but I get it. I'm sorry." She scowled. "I didn't mean to take advantage of you. It was a dick move."

"Well," David allowed himself a smile, "thanks. I appreciate the apology. Sorry is a lot nicer than a middle finger." Chloe flitted both hands in reluctant agreement. "Classes start in a few days, but I do need you both to  _try_ and behave, alright? There's a difference between being rambunctious and putting my job in danger. Or even worse, getting arrested. You're lucky I'm the one who caught you."

_Well, I at least made sure that would be the case but...yeah, I digress._

"We know," Max said. "It was stupid. You're honestly being way chiller about this than we deserve." David chuckled.

"I'm not sure either of you understand the lengths I'd go to protect you," he said. "But I need you to meet me halfway. That's all I'm asking."

_Aw... Fucking teddy bear._

"Thanks." Chloe hung her head again and huffed. "I feel actually shitty. I really am sorry." She felt a hand ruffle through her hair.

"Alright, enough of the puppy eyes," he laughed. "As long as you understand. I'm glad we can actually talk about these things now."

"I'm not!" Chloe giggled as she shook her head. "Being responsible and...handling things like an adult is so awkward."

"Yeah," Max said, "I don't like this. Can I return my adult card? I miss chocolate milk."

"You literally had some yesterday," Chloe laughed, leaning into her. Max just turned her head away with a 'hmph.'

"Sorry, Max," David chuckled, "but no refunds. You'll get used to it. With ease, I bet." He sighed and let the palm of his hand smack against the side of his fist. "Well, I'm going to get back to work. Only another hour before I can go home and take a nap." He smirked. "Had an especially exciting night."

"Give an inch," Chloe said, puckering her lips disapprovingly. He laughed and held a hand up in defense.

"Alright, alright. Have a good day at work," he said, then turned to Max. "From what I hear, most of the students will be returning today. Might be a bit hectic."

"Teenagers," Max scoffed. David rolled his eyes with a smile, then left. Chloe fell back onto the bed.

"I hate this!" She screeched, bursting into laughter at the end of it. "Being all...all fucking..."

"Nice?" Max asked, lying down next to her. Chloe made a sound of displeasure. "In fairness, it was pretty dumb of us to go back to the pool. I mean, really, we're lucky he didn't catch us doing the other stuff we did." She purred into Chloe's ear. "Like our shower adventures."

_Oooh, shower adventures. I like those._

"That would've been a fucking nightmare." She turned to Max, who was close enough that their noses touched. "I'm pretty good at bullshitting my way out of things, but that would be difficult to explain." She cackled and sat up. "One sec! Let me just remove myself from my girlfriend and we'll engage in civil discourse!" Max laughed with a familiar tint of disgust.

"You're so gross." She flopped a hand to her side and grabbed her phone. "Warren says he'll be getting here soon. It'll be nice to see everyone else too. Juliet texted me a while ago that she's already here, I'll probably go see her after you leave."

"I'm bummed I won't be here when Warren gets back," Chloe pouted. "I realized last night while we were swimming that I still don't have peaches for my town and Cheri is hounding me for one."

_Bitch is so fucking needy, man._

"I have no fucking idea what you're talking about," Max chuckled, "but I'll be sure to let him know you need a peach for cherry." Chloe laid back down and wrapped her in a hug.

"If you weren't already my hero, that would've done the trick."

* * *

"Usual suspects today?" Chloe mumbled through the hair tie as she pulled her hair back into a small ponytail. Pete grunted in the affirmative and flipped the pancake, then turned to her.

"You know anyone we can hire as a cook? We need someone on night shift. Figured there might be someone in that group of yours that needs a job." He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm.

"What's up? Did Scott quit?" Chloe leaned against the sink and crossed her arms.

"Nah." Pete shook his head with a bit of frustration. "He was skimming. It's been going on for a few weeks now but we finally caught him." He released one burst of a disbelieving laugh and turned back to the food. "Moron. We don't even keep that much money in the register. Got himself fired over, what, two or three hundred bucks at the most?" He pointed the spatula at her. "His food wasn't even that good. You know he fucked up scrambled eggs? Multiple times?"

_Makes sense. Scott sucked at everything else._

"Shit, even I could do that," Chloe laughed. She titled her head in thought. "I'll think about if I know anyone. Though, you know most of the Blackwell kids are set with mommy and daddy." Pete rocked his head side to side as if saying 'true.' "And I don't say that bitterly, it's just how it is. I love a lot of those brats."

_Do I know anyone who would be into that? Can't see the Victoria Cerberus back here getting all sweaty. Justin and Trevor would come in baked and get fired by the end of the night. Maybe Warren? He actually studies though..._

Chloe plucked two pens out of the pencil holder and slipped them and her notepad into her apron. She skirted by Pete and snagged a piece of bacon from the reject plate, scrunching her nose when it wasn't as crispy as she'd prefer. She double checked her appearance in the small mirror to make sure she was presentable, then burst through the swinging door.

There were currently only two customers in the diner and, with routine that had embedded itself into her over the months, she checked on each of them with a proper smile and pleasant behavior. After they had all confirmed they were fine, she took a seat at the bar and pulled out her phone. Since she wasn't exactly in dire need of money, she didn't really mind the slower days and had actually learned to utilize them as a time of relaxation. Sure, other people did yoga or meditated, but skimming Wikipedia and playing mindless mobile games was good enough for her. She fired off a few texts back and forth with Max about needing a cook, then sent her a picture of a cute kitten.

After some time, the bell above the door jingled. She lurched across the counter and grabbed a menu, then spun around in her stool. Before she could conjure her 'waitress smile,' she tilted her head down and arched an eyebrow.

"Hey man," she said, giving a lazier wave than she usually would. Frank smirked at her and headed over to the booth in the corner.

_My favorite customer... I can't believe that that's actually true._

"How's it going?" She asked, slipping into the seat across from him. He casually shrugged in response.

"Can't complain too much. Another day and all." He reached under his jacket and took out a bottle of beer. Chloe grinned.

_It's like the R-rated version of sneaking candy into the movies._

"Man, it's just me. You know you don't have to sneak it in here." She rested against the cushion of the bench. "Besides, I doubt anyone else would care at this point. It's just part of the Frank Bowers experience."

"Not sure if that's good or bad," he chuckled. "How about you, how are you doing?" He leveraged the base of his lighter against the lid of the bottle and pried it off.

"All good here," Chloe said, then snickered. "I did get in some hot water with my stepdad last night because me and Max broke into the Blackwell pool." Frank furrowed his brow.

"Why would you do that?" He asked. She was surprised to hear some actual anger in his voice. "Don't do stupid shit and get in trouble. You're better than that, Chloe."

_What in the hell Twilight Zone shit is this?_

"Woah, easy, dude," she held her hands in front of her, "I already got this lecture." She glanced behind her to check on the other customers, then turned back to him. "Why are you getting all pissy with me?"

"I'm not being pissy," he protested. "But look, I'm older than you  _and_ I'm your friend. You can't act like you used to when you, me, and Rach used to hangout. You reminded me a lot of myself, you know? That's  _not_ a good thing." Chloe could feel herself shrinking. "I'm pretty much fucked forever, but you're not. I'm sure you were just having fun, but all it takes is one slip up with the law."

"Christ, man, I don't even have a passport and you're sending me on a global guilt trip," Chloe pouted, putting her elbow on the table so she could rest her cheek on her hand. Frank sighed.

"Sorry," he said, "I just don't want you to fuck up your future. I mean, I'm  _trying_ to build an honest, normal life and trust me, a bad reputation ain't easy to shake."

"So...no luck on the job hunt, then?" She frowned, then reached across the table and lightly hit his hand. "You got this, dude. I'm here to help in any way I..."

_Oh, holy fuck!_

"Dude!" She raised herself as much as she was able to and planted her palms on the table. "We're hiring! Here! At the Two Whales! We need a cook for night shift!" There was a spark of excitement in Frank's eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"They'd never hire me here, Chloe." He slouched in his seat. "Of all places, the Two Whales knows best that I'm a piece of shit. I'm here all the time. You think I don't notice how it changes when I walk in? How the cops always keep one eye on me?" He shook his head. "I can't even cook, anyway."

"Can you scramble eggs?" Chloe asked with a smile. "That's literally our standard at the moment. And, look..." She huffed. "I won't lie, it's probably a long shot, but I'll fucking argue for it! Believe it or not, I'm a really fucking good employee! They trust me. And if I convince my mom..."

_He'd be working with Mom sometimes too... If she sees that he's got his shit together, that would go a long way toward David easing up. I'm the best accidental mastermind ever._

"I'm not going to stop you from trying," he said, "but I ain't getting my hopes up."

"No problem, I'll just get mine up extra high," Chloe snickered. "I'll tell them to get your beans ready and I'll grab you an application, alright?" She held her hand up for a high five. Frank stared at it for a moment, grunted, then slapped the back of his against it.

While she left Frank to fill out his application and eat in peace, the other two tables had left. As she was wiping down the second table, the bell jingled again.

_Mo' money fo' me._

"Sit wherever you'd like, I'll be right with you!" She called. She tucked the towel away behind the bar and grabbed another menu. She placed the menu on the table in front of the man. He was dressed rather nicely, wearing a beige suit with a white dress shirt and tie to complement it. She actually didn't recognize him, which was rare considering the vast majority of customers were regulars.

"Hi! My name's Chloe, I'll be takin' care of ya," she said. "Our soup today is," she leaned back and squinted at the white board, "...gazpacho. Which is kind of a weird choice for winter, right? But it's actually really good, promise. I can get you a small sample if you want." The man looked her up and down, sending an uncomfortable shiver through her.

_Actually, he does look a little familiar... Where have I seen him before? One of the reporters that fucked with Kate?_

"I'll take that sample, thank you," he said. He removed his glasses and rubbed one of the lenses against his sleeve. Getting a longer look at him, something about his demeanor struck her as off.

"Yeah, no problem." She couldn't help but steal a quick look at Frank, as if she could tell just from that how he was faring with the application. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Coffee." His voice wasn't exactly what she'd describe as cold, but rather...hollow.

"Sure thing," she said, and went to retrieve his coffee.

_This guy is kind of creepy. Where the fuck do I recognize him from? It's like, on the tip of my tongue. My...brain-tongue._

"Here you go," Chloe said, setting the mug on the table. She continued smiling despite feeling increasingly uneasy. "Have you decided on food?" He didn't answer, instead slowly tearing the end off a packet of sugar. There was something in that simple action that seemed predatory. Chloe looked at Frank again, this time for a sense of safety. "Sir?"

"Chloe..." He said it as if her were testing the word out. He looked her up and down again. "Would you happen to be Chloe Price?" Her heart began to beat faster and, without thinking about it, she found herself taking on step back.

_How the fuck?_

"Uh, yes," she replied. She cleared her throat. "So, you know me, but I can't seem to remember you." She chuckled nervously. "That's a little awkward. Uh, sorry."

"Bacon and eggs, please." It was like he hadn't heard anything she had said. He held the menu out to her, this time keeping his gaze straight ahead.

"R-right," she stammered, taking the menu.

Though she was trying to play it cool, her movement toward the kitchen window was much more of a scurry then a casual walk. She kept her eyes down as she passed him and returned to Frank.

"Dude," she whispered, leaning across the table, "there's this weirdo over there who is freaking me the fuck out." He looked up at her.

"What'd he do?" He asked.

"I mean, not really anything but...you know how sometimes you just get that feeling?" He nodded. "He knows my name and seems familiar but I just cannot tell from where." Frank leaned to the side, straining his neck to try and see.

"I can only see the top of the back of his head," he said.

_Incredibly helpful, thank you._

"Look," she said, holding out her hand, "I'm actually shaking a little bit." Her expression fell into further unease. "I never get like this, what the hell?"

"Nothing's going to happen in the broad daylight in a diner," Frank said, "but I'll keep an eye out." She nodded in thanks. "Anyway, I finished this." He held up the application. "Filling these out is really depressing. Seeing how little you've done."

"It's fine, man. They hired me, right?" She took it from him and stood up, happy to have a reason to head into the back and put off interaction with the strange man. "I'll go give it to Pete and talk to him a bit."

"Alright," Frank sighed, plunging his fork into the puddle of beans. "Don't expect much."

_Getting lectured by David and Frank, trying to get Frank a job and now there's a serial killer that knows my name sipping coffee. I'm exhausted already._

"Excuse me, Chloe Price?" The man asked just as she was passing by him. She stopped immediately, as if a leash had grown taut and kept her from going further. She hated the way he said her name like that. She gulped, then turned to him. "More coffee, please."

_God dammit._

"Right away," she said, then went behind the bar to retrieve the coffee pot. She tried to avoid eye contact as she filled his mug. "Anything else I can grab for you?"

"The sample of gazpacho," he responded. "You forgot it."

"Ah! I'm so sorry," she said, forgetting herself for a moment and adopting her normal waitress behavior. He stared back at her with a smile. It seemed kind and warm, but she couldn't help but feel like it was only a mask. That there was something...terrible beneath it. When it was clear he wasn't going to reply, she hurried off to get the soup.

"What the  _fuck,_ man?" She huffed as she entered the kitchen. Pete turned to her.

"What's up?" He asked.

"I'm waiting on this guy who seems like he wears people's faces for a hobby!" She leaned against the wall. "Seriously, it's like he's a fucking Jack-in-the-box of nightmares!"

"Want me to get rid of him?" Pete asked seriously. Chloe exhaled forecfully and rocked her head back and forth.

"I mean, he hasn't fucking done anything. Just gives me the creeps."

"Okay," he said, moving down the line to grab some raw strips of bacon. "Just say the word, I'll boot him."

_It does feel pretty good to have backup. Frank'll shank a motherfucker and Pete's huge so...yeah, I'm fine._

"Thanks." She sighed and lessened the tension in her shoulders. "Anyway, I got an app for the night job." She held it out and he perked an eyebrow at her.

"Already?" He wiped his hands on the towel hanging from his apron and took it. It was only a second before he was back looking at her with a grimace. "Bowers? Are you serious?"

_Alright, I guess him taking it with no argument was a bit of a pipe dream. Damn._

"Pete, I can vouch for him," she said. "I know there's a fuckton of baggage attached to his name but I'm really close with him. He's a good dude and he's trying really fucking hard to start over."

"There's...no way I can even entertain this idea," he said, waving the paper. "Everyone knows he should be behind bars. We  _just_ fired Scott for stealing and you want me to hire a criminal?"

"Argh, come on, man!" Chloe snatched the paper out of his hand tapped her finger against it. "You hired me! I had a shitty reputation too! And look at me!" She held her arms out wide as if presenting herself. "Not to toot my own fuckin' horn, but I'm  _great_ at this job  _and_ I've changed for the better in the rest of my life!"

_Toot, toot._

"We hired you because Joyce practically begged," he said, frowning. "We knew she wouldn't be fighting for it if she really didn't believe you could do it."

"Right," Chloe said, "so can't you give me that same benefit? Come on, I wouldn't set you up to get fucked over. I really trust him. Just...consider it, okay?"

Pete stared at her, his mouth scrunching in several directions as he thought it over. He yanked the papers back out of her hand.

"I won't throw it in the garbage," he said, "but if anyone, and I mean literally  _anyone_ else shows interest, he's out of the running." Chloe grinned and threw her arms around him.

"Thank you, you sweaty monster of a boss," she laughed. "Think about it, that's all I ask."

"Alright, alright," he mumbled, "get off me." Once free, he put eggs and two strips of bacon onto a plate, then handed it to her. "Here, your murderer's food is ready."

"Ffffuck," she muttered. "Right, still have to deal with that. Alright, if you hear me screaming, come rescue me." She pointed at a knife hanging on the wall. "Bring the good knife."

As she came through the door, the first thing she did was look at Frank and give him a wobbly shrug and thumbs up. She could see his eyes grow wide from across the room.

_Man, that feels...really good. I hope it pans out. Ugh...alright, let me drop this food off._

"Bacon and eggs," she said, sliding the plate in front of the man. "Do you need anything else?" He didn't answer right away, but slowly picked up the fork and looked it over.

"So," he said, attention still fixed on the fork, "how is everything? Did you heal up alright?" At the last word, he turned to her and bared his teeth in a horrible impersonation of a grin. A new wave of unease spread through her stomach.

_What the fuck?_

"What are you talking about?" She asked, trying not to look as fearful as she felt.

"That," he said, pointing the fork at her ribs. "Did everything heal fine? No complications? Guns are unpredictable, you know. You can never tell how much damage a bullet will really do."

"Who the fuck are you?" She was finally able to summon a small burst of anger. "Why are you asking me this shit?"

"I'd heard it was a matter of millimeters," he continued, "just one hair the other way and you might have bled out right there on that floor. Dead before anyone could even work up a tear."

_Fuck no, I'm not dealing with this._

"Okay, asshole, I don't know what the fuck your problem is but you need to leave right now." He ignored her, keeping the fork angled at her. She released an enraged scream. "Stop fucking pointing that thing at me!" She yanked the fork out of his hand and threw it across the room. "Get out of here! Get the fuck out of here!"

He made no move to get to his feet. Instead, he reached for his coffee and took a slow sip.

"You ruined my life," he said calmly. Chloe's hands tensed into claws and she was overcome with the desire to attack him.

_Say another goddamn word, I swear to god._

"What the fuck is going on?" Frank shouted, pushing Chloe a step back and shielding her with his arm. He gazed down at the man. "What the fuck are you doing to her?" The man looked up at Frank and chuckled.

"Oh, of course," he said, shaking his head. "Of  _course_  you'd be here too! Frank Bowers! The provider!" He set the mug down and buried his face in his hands as he laughed. "You know, I'd heard that you loved her. How does it feel to know you help ki-"

Frank gripped the man by his collar and ripped him out of his seat. Chloe stumbled backward until her back was pressed against the bar. Frank brought his face close to the man.

_This is getting...really fucking crazy. What is the fuck is going on?!_

"I'm going to ask you this once," he said, his voice tattered and snarling at the edges, "who the fuck are you?"

"Bowers!" Chloe turned to find Pete tearing around the bar. To her surprise, and fear, he was indeed carrying the knife she had joked about. "What in the hell is going..." He swallowed his own sentence once he was close enough to see the other man. He looked over his shoulder at Chloe. "Get in the back."

_Get in the back!? Why!? Who is that!?_

"What!?" She screamed. She hadn't realized she had started to cry. "What the  **fuck** is going on!?" The panic, fear and confusion had been coiling within her ever since the man came in and now finally released itself. She fell to her knees and started to sob.

_I don't understand!_

"Is that what she looked like with the gun in her face?" The man asked, still calm, still held tight in Frank's grip. In response, Frank reeled back and punched him hard in the face. He let go of his collar, and the man fell on his rear. Though clearly dazed, he smiled, showing off his bloodstained teeth.

"Assault," he said quietly, almost giddily. "I'll have you arrested." Frank set his foot behind him, ready to bring it forward into the man. Pete grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Don't," he warned. It seemed like Frank was about to ignore him, but instead turned around and knelt by Chloe, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

_This...this is insane..._

"I'll have you all arrested," the man said again, slurring his words.

"You have some real fucking nerve showing your face around here, let alone harassing  _her._ " Pete shook his head in disgust. "You're pathetic, Sean."

_...Sean?_

"I'm pathetic?" He laughed. " _I'm_ pathetic!?" He spit a red glob onto the floor. "That fucking bitch ruined everything!" He pointed at Chloe. "Ruined my fucking life!"

"You're speaking with me," Pete said harshly, repositioning himself directly in front of Sean. "Say another word to her and I promise you'll regret it."

"I could have this place leveled," Sean said, his head lulling back onto the seat. "I own it. Own all of you..."

"This is Prescott?" Frank asked. Pete nodded in confirmation. Frank sucked air through his teeth, then got to his feet. He moved back over to the two men and scowled. "Sorry, Pete," he said, then slammed his knee into Sean's face.

_Jesus Christ, Frank!_

"No more of that," Pete pointed the knife at him, though it was nonthreatening. "No matter how much he deserves it." Frank put his hands up and backed away. Sean's head rolled around on his shoulders as he was lost in a daze. "I have to call the police just to make sure they know. If he gets up and tries to leave, just fucking let him. He can't hide anywhere."

_The...the police? What the fuck..._

"Is Frank going to get in trouble?" Chloe asked. Pete stared down at Sean and shook his head.

"He was protecting you and, to be honest, no one's on the side of Prescotts anymore. He's currently under investigation and harassing the girl his son almost killed isn't going to help his case." He turned to Chloe. "You go home, okay? Don't come in tomorrow, either. I want you to try and calm down."

_Calm down!? Calm the fuck down!?_

For some reason, a small part of her wanted to protest. She was staring at the man who bred Nathan Prescott into a monster. Follow the thread long enough and you'll eventually find the source. As Sean blinked rapidly, blood painted over his mouth and dripping onto his white shirt, she could only think that it wasn't enough. He deserved worse. Bloody and teetering on the boundary of consciousness, Chloe couldn't tell the difference between him and the storm she had watched start to destroy Arcadia Bay.

But, that small part was drowned out by the overwhelming adrenaline and stimulus that had attacked her. She didn't  _really_ want to be there. She didn't want to be near him. She wanted, needed to be with the people she loved. She wanted to cry in her mother's arms and hug David tight and hold Max close, thanking her over and over for the life she almost didn't have. So, she said 'okay' and left as quickly as she could.

Sitting in her truck, she called Max. There was no response. She called again and Max still didn't answer. She brought up their text chat and hammered on the keys.

**Chloe:** call me asap something crazy just happened

She started the truck and turned the volume of the radio up as loud as it would go, letting the chaotic drums and frenzied guitar thrash the feelings out of her head. Her phone vibrated.

**Max:** Okay give me five minutes. Are you okay?

**Chloe:** yea just...call me

* * *

"Chloe, Jesus, I'm so sorry!" Max cried as she jumped into the truck, diving into Chloe's arms. "What a fucking psycho! I can't believe that happened!"

"I love you so much," Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max tightly. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, Chlo. More than anything," Max said directly into her ear. "I don't even know what to say. It's insane."

_That's fine, let's just use that word and call it a day._

"Yeah..." Chloe buried her face in the crook of Max's neck. "I keep like, almost forgetting about all of that shit. Like how nightmares get blurry after you wake up and you can't remember why they were so fucking scary. I just...I forget."

"I know. I know, babe," Max said.

"You...don't, do you?" Chloe asked. Max pulled away and looked at her in confusion. "You don't forget, do you?"

"It's getting better," Max said, cupping Chloe's cheek. "I've gone a day or two without thinking about it. But...no, I can't forget it. Not entirely."

"I hope someday there are no reminders. No...left over parts," Chloe said. Max kissed her on the forehead.

"Chlo," she said, showing a small smile. "I can't completely forget it because it gave me you. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything."

* * *

The door opened before Chloe could grasp the knob and she was sucked into Joyce's embrace. Though she wasn't crying, it was clear that she recently had been. David stood behind her, looking sullen. Joyce told her she was sorry and that she loved her over and over until finally she and Max were allowed to actually enter the house.

"It's...it's fine now, I guess," Chloe said. The four of them were seated around the dining room table. "I mean, nothing happened and it's over so..." She blew out a heavy gust of air and put her head in her hands. "Fuck, I was so scared."

"I know, sweetie," Joyce said, reaching across the table to hold her hand. Once David had gotten his own fill of hugging her, his mood quickly turned angry. His foot hammered against the floor as he sat there silently.

"I didn't really even realize he was still...around, you know?" Max had pulled her chair next to Chloe's and was rubbing her back.

"Hopefully not for much longer," David said, breaking his silence. "Once everything comes out, he'll be locked away. His money means nothing now. He can't buy his way out of this." He pressed a palm against his eye. "I thought he was out of town. I didn't know he was here either."

"If it wasn't for Pete and Frank, I don't even know what would've happened," Chloe said. "I was about to attack him myself. The  _feeling_  he gave me..." She shuddered.

_I don't even think I was in danger but...I've never felt so unsafe._

"I wish I was there," David said quietly. "What I wouldn't give to knock him on his ass."

"Don't worry," Chloe managed a light chuckle, "Frank really fucked him up. He protected me." She saw David's expression shift a few times, as if he were considering something.

_Accidental mastermind... Sure._

"Tell him thanks," David replied. "Just take it easy tonight. Try to distract yourself." He turned to Max. "I hope you'll stay the night?" She nodded. "Alright," he sighed and placed his hand on Chloe's shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too," Max added. "I wish I could've seen Frank kick his ass. I would have happily rewound that over and over." Chloe's brows crinkled and she turned to Max.

_Uh..._

"Rewound?" Joyce asked.

"I-I mean, if I could, you know?" Max stammered. "Like if it was a movie or something."

"I'm right there with you," David said. Chloe smiled and put her head back on the table.

_She never jokes about rewinding. Heh...she really loves me, huh?_


	47. Serpent

Max nervously chewed on the inside of her lip as she looked up at the sky. Even though it had stopped raining hours ago, it was still busy with fluffy, gray clouds that could open back up at any moment. She patted the bag hanging over her shoulder and felt the familiar shape of her camera through the material. She didn't want to let her weekend go by without at least taking  _some_ decent shots. Accepting that her backdrop wouldn't be as sunny as she'd like, she trotted down the steps and into the park.

She dug her camera out of the bag and held it close, scanning left and right as she walked forward. A soft rustling of leaves caught her attention, and she turned to find a tiny squirrel at the base of a tree gnawing on something. She couldn't help but let out an excited gasp, taking two slow steps toward it.

"Hi there," she said softly. The squirrel stopped eating and stared at her. "Can I take your photo?" It tilted its head in response and she smiled. "I'm still pretty new to this and it'd make me really happy if you'd help me out." She raised the camera to her face and peered through the viewfinder. "You might be famous someday," she giggled. She waited for the squirrel to fidget its attention in several directions before looking back up at her, then she took the photo. The flash startled it and it bounded up the tree.

"Ooh, sorry," Max cringed. The camera ejected the photo and she waved it, smiling when the image became clear. "That's actually not bad... Maybe someday I'll have a whole lineup of squirrel photos. That could be my niche." She snorted. "Yeah, aim high, Max."

She wandered around a bit more, feeling grateful that the gloomy skies had probably thinned out the amount of people at the park. She hadn't yet become as adventurous as she would have liked when it came to searching out photo opportunities, and large crowds were a fairly big reason for that. After taking a few more pictures, none of which she had found particularly great, she sat down on a bench near the pond. Her attention was snagged up by joyful shrieking.

Her hands awkwardly shifted around the camera in her lap as she watched the two young girls chase each other in circles. An unkind sense of nostalgia rose up through her, and it felt like she might as well be watching some off-kilter version of a home movie from her own childhood. She held the camera up and looked at them through the viewfinder, thinking about how with just a press of a button, their happiness in that moment would be forever crystallized. No matter what happened afterward, that moment would be saved. She sighed sadly, then took the photo.

Two older women that had been sitting on another bench together got to their feet and moved toward the girls. Max could hear them clearly as they explained to the children that, given it could rain any second, they'd have to call it a day. She recognized that reluctant smile that both women wore, as if they felt guilty to be breaking up their daughters' fun. Her lip quirked sadly when one of the girls turned to the other.

"I'll be back tomorrow!" she proclaimed, locking the other girl in a hug. "You'll be here too, right?"

"Duhhhh," the other one responded with laughter, "I'll be waiting for you right here!"

She watched the girls head off in opposite directions, one jubilantly skipping while the other held her mother's hand. They each looked back several times to smile or wave or just make a silly face and Max thought how nice it must have been to be so naive. To know so little about the world, or really, much of anything, and believe that regardless of anything else, it was certain they'd be reunited the next day.

When they were both gone, Max found herself completely alone, holding the Polaroid she had taken of them in her lap. She stared at it for so long that the colors began to muddle and the two girls in the photo started to resemble other people. She didn't even notice when it started to rain.

* * *

"Babe?" Max nudged Chloe gently, stirring the girl awake. Max was on her knees, staring down at her with concern. "You were crying in your sleep..."

"Oh," she rasped, groggily slapping a hand against her face to rub her eyes. "Yeah, that...that makes sense." When Max cocked her head to show her confusion, Chloe reached up and pulled her down on top of her. "You're such a little brat," she whispered, "I can't believe you didn't just call me."

_Call her? Wha...oh, god dammit._

"Another dream?" she asked, moving her arm from between them so it'd be more comfortable. She kissed Chloe's collarbone.

"Mhm... From when you were away," she said.

"Really?" Max shifted her head so her ear was against Chloe's heartbeat. It wasn't racing, but was still a bit quicker than normal. "What was it of?"

"Uh, I don't really know," Chloe said, bringing her hand along Max's back. "You were walking around some park taking pictures and then you saw these kids playing and it...made you sad." She gave a petite shrug.

"Well, that's depressing," Max managed to chuckle quietly. "Also kind of confusing, too. What a random memory for you to see." She rolled off of Chloe and settled in next to her. "I'm glad it wasn't anything horrible, I guess, but..." She frowned. "That's  _so_ random. Are literally all of my memories just a possibility here? What if you dream of something embarrassing? What if you're one nap away from seeing me use the bathroom or like, falling down the stairs or something?" She had a far away look in her eyes as she shook her head. "There's so many instances of both... The odds are not in my favor." Chloe smiled wide.

"I've never even thought about that," she admitted. "That'd be pretty fucking hilarious."

"That is  _extremely_ subjective," Max muttered, scrunching her nose in distaste. Then, she softened. "How...are you feeling? After yesterday and everything?"

"Fucking beat," Chloe replied. "Feel like I barely slept at all. And, I don't know what even ended up happening." She sighed. "I need to call Frank at least, he'll fill me in."

"Good idea." Max sat up and leaned forward, propping her fist against her cheek as she thought. "I have to wonder what kind of skeletons Sean Prescott has in his walk-in closet. We already know the Prescotts were into extortion, I bet there's all sorts of shady business dealings."

"Or literal skeletons in their closet," Chloe said. She rolled onto her side and reached over the edge of the bed for her phone. "Alright, let me call him just to try and settle my stomach." Max nodded and stood up, creeping over to the door and cracking it. For her own curiosity, she listened for any activity downstairs and found it to be quiet. "Hey man," she heard Chloe say behind her.

In the space of Chloe's words, her own phone started ringing. She went over to the desk where it was charging and raised an eyebrow when she saw Kate's name.

_What's Kate calling for? Man, she's going to freak when she finds out about the Sean thing._

"Hi Kate," Max said, slinking back toward the door and slipping outside so it'd be easier for each of them to have their respective conversations.

"Hi Max," Kate responded. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Psht, you kidding? I'm the earliest bird. I get all the worms." She wandered over to the railing of the stairs and leaned on it.

"That's good, I guess," Kate giggled. Max heard her click her tongue in what seemed to be hesitation. "So...um, I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner tonight?"

"Why, Kate Marsh, are you asking me on a date? I'll have to check with my girlfriend, you know. She's bad at sharing," she laughed.

"I want Chloe to come too," Kate replied with an audible smile. It was obvious she had wanted to add a playful insult at the end but refrained.

_Ha! She was totally going to call me a dork or something!_

"I suppose I'll let her tag along," Max said. "Where did you want to go?" She jolted and held up a finger despite Kate being unable to see her. "I am going to take Two Whales off the ballot, though."

"Well, actually, there's a nice Italian place in the next town. It's not too far," Kate said.

"Oh, I may know where you're talking about. I think Chloe and I might have gone with Joyce and David." She snickered. "What's the occasion?" Kate was silent for a moment. "Kate?"

"My...dad wants to have dinner with you guys," she answered quietly.

_I'm sorry?_

"I'm sorry?" Max bounced from the railing and paced over to the window. "Your dad? What?"

"I know," she sighed. "He really wants to get this whole thing settled before class starts on Monday and I think he wants to apologize." There was a small groan of frustration. "It's weird. I know it's weird.  _Especially_ now. But he's been trying so hard, I really feel like I owe it to him to do my best with this too. I'm sorry that also involves you guys. I do understand if you say no. I think he would too."

_Agh, Kate... You're awesome but this kind of sucks._

"I say yes," Max said, "but I need to talk to Chloe first. I'll try and come regardless, but it depends on how strong her reaction is."

"That's only fair. Um, just let me know as soon as you can, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. I'll text you," Max replied.

"Thanks Max. You're the best..." She paused. "And I'm really sorry."

When Max came back into Chloe's room, she found the girl sitting on the bed, her knees huddled to her chest as she fiddled with her 3DS and a cigarette peeking between her lips. She glanced up at Max.

"Who?" she asked, not bothering to form a complete sentence. Max sat back down on the bed, then flopped onto her back.

"Kate," she said. "She wants us to go to dinner with her and her dad because life doesn't make any sense anymore." Instead of the animated response she was expecting, Chloe only chuckled.

"Dude, tell me about it." She closed the device and turned her full attention to Max. "Frank works at the Two Whales now because apparently kicking the shit out of a corrupt asshole in my defense is a good judge of character." She held her hands up. "Who knew?"

"What? He got hired for the cook job?" Chloe nodded in response and Max's brows knit together. "I can't even right now, honestly." She covered her eyes and laughed. "I know that's such a Courtney thing to say, but I can't and you better can't either and the world just can't." She spread her fingers to peek at Chloe. "Okay?"

"Yeah, alright." Chloe reached over to comb through Max's hair. "Anywho," she said casually, "before we address the Last Supper, let me just fill you in on the other shit." Max made an affirmative noise. "So, aside from the Frank job thing, Pete did end up calling the cops. They explained everything to Officer Berry and told him about Frank attacking him just in case it becomes a thing later." Her eyes cartwheeled slowly as she thought. "Apparently Berry has a particularly personal grudge with Prescott, plus with the whole 'me being shot' thing, I guess they're not in a hurry to jump to his defense." She conjured a confused look. "I think the cops are being protective of me? That's pretty wild."

"I mean..." Max turned onto her side, "it makes sense. I'm sure people were always pulling for you, but you, Kate and Rachel were also the excuse they needed to openly defy the Prescotts."

"Huh. I guess that's true, isn't it?" She puckered her lips and moved her head left and right as she considered it. "Well, good, right? Fuck him. I guess most revolutions start with a gunshot." She grinned. "That makes me sound really badass, actually."

"Dude, it really does," Max snickered. Then she huffed. "Okay, so onto our next topic... Do you want to go to this dinner? Are you comfortable with that?"

"He's paying?" Chloe asked. Max grew an open mouthed smile.

"Chloe!" She covered her face again and writhed back and forth as she laughed. "I cannot fucking  _EVEN_ with you right now."

"What!? That seems like such a reasonable question!" She nudged Max with her foot.

"Am I texting her yes or not?" Max asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, why not? We're already balls deep in this fucking Doctor Phil episode," she said. "Might as well go all the way."

* * *

To pass the time until dinner with Kate and her father, Max and Chloe decided to go see a movie at the theater that was relatively close to the restaurant. Despite the temptation to indulge in the great pastime of making out in the dimly lit theater, they behaved themselves and actually paid attention to the film. Once it was over, there was still a bit of time left until they were supposed to meet up with Kate, so they spent time in the small arcade on the first floor. After a half hour or so, they finally headed to the restaurant.

"It's just now dawning on me how absurd this is," Chloe said. She closed the door of the truck and skated around the front to Max. "Like, you'd think once you remove time travel from the equation, things would simmer down just a tad."

"Just a notch," Max added.

"Just a hair," Chloe continued.

"Well, I guess you can't ever complain that things aren't at least interesting," Max said. She bounced onto her tiptoes and kissed Chloe. "You ready?"

"Yeah," she responded, then snickered. "Do you think he'll order us wine?"

"No," Max said, pulling open the door to the restaurant, "I do not think he will order us wine."

She was immediately hit with the scent of food and realized how hungry she was, despite mowing through a rather large dose of nachos at the theater. The hostess greeted them with a smile and asked if there'd be two for their party, but Max explained that they were meeting someone. As she began scanning around her, she heard Chloe mutter 'Jesus Christ' under her breath. When she followed the girl's line of sight, she saw why.

_Kate what._

"She's still drunk from New Years," Max said, her voice stunned into a robotic cadence. Kate noticed them and waved enthusiastically with a big smile. Beside her, Victoria offered a less grandiose wave. She could only see the back of Mr. Marsh's head. Max held her hand up, staring straight ahead at them as she spoke from the side of her mouth, "I did  _not_ know Victoria would be here." She sighed and grabbed Chloe by the wrist, leading her over to the table.

"Max!" Kate greeted, flashing that heart warming grin. "Thank you so much for coming!"

"Yeah, of course," Max said, her eyes stumbling their way to and from Victoria several times. Kate's father stood up from his seat and cleared his throat.

"Yes, thank you for agreeing to meet with us," he said, extending his hand. It looked awkward rather than formal, as if he just wasn't quite sure how to greet a young adult. Max took it and smiled, then he did the same with Chloe.

_Feels like a business meeting._

"Thanks for, uh, inviting us," Chloe said, taking her seat at the table next to Max. She didn't hide her mixed expression. "A little surprising."

"I suppose it is," Mr. Marsh admitted. "I just wanted to try and dispel any ill will and thought..." he chuckled nervously, "it might be easier if I buy you girls dinner."

"It helps," Chloe laughed.

"I, uh, didn't know you were coming," Max said, turning to Victoria. The immediate look in her eyes seemed to say that she didn't either.

"Kate asked," she said simply.

_You look like a hostage, Vic._

"I thought it'd be nice to have another..." Kate's eyes went wide for a moment, "friend? Friend here and since Dad already knows her from Thanksgiving, it made sense."

"Well, I'm still grateful for the way you stood up for Kate with those reporters," he said to Victoria. In response, the girl blushed.

"You should've seen that," Chloe said, pointing at him. "It was pretty fu- it was pretty awesome!" She angled her cheek at him in a boastful manner. "I broke their camera, you know?"

_Aw, so proud._

"I didn't," he replied with a smile. "I do have to thank you both too," he gestured between Max and Chloe, "I know you've done your fair share of helping Kate out."

"We love Kate," Max said, her face contorting on the use of the word 'love.' "I mean, we'd do anything for her."

"This is...more embarrassing than I expected," Kate said sheepishly.

"Is it?" Chloe asked. "I feel like we're not even off the runway yet." Kate's father exhaled a laugh through his nose.

The waiter came to the table to ask about drinks for Max and Chloe and feel out if any progress had been made in regards to their meals. Max took the opportunity while everyone was distracted to look at Victoria and mouth 'does he know?' With a horrified look, Victoria mouthed back 'fuck no!'

_Okay well, that's a relief._

"Ah," Kate's father cleared his throat, "I guess there's no point in ignoring the elephant in the room." He folded his hands on the table and looked at Max and Chloe. "About what happened when you visited... I want to apologize."

"Do you?" Chloe asked, leaning forward a bit. She said it sharper than Max expected and she turned to her in surprise.

_Oooh, easy there, Chlo. Please._

"I do," he said, either oblivious or willing to ignore her tone. "I've been thinking of some way to explain it, but I realize there's not an answer that justifies how things happened." He sighed. "We're a traditional family. We...we've never strayed particularly far from our comfort zone."

"So, okay," Chloe responded, clearly taking the wheel of the conversation. Though Max trusted her to not do or say anything  _too_ reckless, she still found herself nervous. "I guess my question is, what's the...deal? We were at your house for hours and it seemed like you and Mrs. Marsh liked us just fine. So, as soon as you find out, we're just...what, bad people?"

Max glanced at Victoria, who seemed to be harboring the same sense of unease that she was feeling. Kate, however, just looked on calmly.

_I guess she's willing to let this take its natural course._

"Well," Mr. Marsh shook his head with a bit of doubt, "I have to be honest with you. I've spoken with Kate on it more than a few times and the more I think about it, the less reasoning I can find for having such beliefs."

"I lectured him a lot," Kate giggled. She smiled at Max. "You know, like how we were saying Jesus wouldn't be mean like that."

_True. The answer to WWJD is probably not foaming at the mouth in rage._

"Yeah," Max nodded, returning the smile.

"It isn't a simple topic," Kate's father said, frowning, "and because it seems like it  _should_ be, it makes it even more complex." He exhaled. "Times are changing," he said. "They're always changing, and sometimes it's hard to let go of the familiar." He laughed softly, seeming somewhat embarrassed. "I still remember how mortified I felt when my mother would use the word 'colored.' I knew it was wrong."

"Yikes," Chloe said, cringing.

"I suppose in a way, it's not dissimilar," he said. "That doesn't sit well with my conscience." He regarded Max and Chloe curiously. "Do your families know? How did they react?"

_Balloons. Streamers. Cake with two V shaped candles jammed together._

"Honestly, with everything that's happened, they're just happy that we're happy," Max replied. She held up a hand in explanation. "My parents are pretty liberal in general, so I didn't really think they'd mind."

"Yeah, I mean," Chloe leaned back in her chair, "I was very, uh,  _not_ happy for such a long time that my mom was just ecstatic to see me smiling. And my stepdad is kind of in the same boat, which actually did shock me." She squinted at Kate's father. "David Madsen? The head of security at Blackwell?" He nodded in affirmation. "He's really, at least on the surface, the poster boy for intolerance. I would have never expected him to be as accepting as he is, but I guess he has some history with the subject.  _And_  he was the one who found me when..." she hesitated, calculating how continuing the sentence would affect everyone at the table, "Nathan Prescott shot me."

As was expected, Kate's father had the most visible reaction, though Victoria gave him a run for his money. Kate did fidget a little, but remained otherwise composed.

_That's...really unnerving. It's like saying Voldemort's name._

"The Prescotts," Mr. Marsh said, his voice drifting far away. His jaw grew taut as anger bubbled beneath the surface. To Max's, and presumably everyone else's relief, the waiter came back to take their order. It did a sufficient job of breaking the growing tension. When the waiter left, Kate's father relaxed his body and sighed. "That family is poison."

"Yeah..." Victoria said, her gaze directed down at the table.

"They're something, yeah," Chloe said, absentmindedly tracing a circle on the tablecloth. "I actually had a run in with S-" Max jabbed her with her elbow.

_Agh, no!_

"Chloe, maybe not now, okay?" She regarded her with uncertainty.

"What happened?" Kate asked. Chloe looked at Kate, then at Max, then back to Kate before shaking her head.

"No, I'll tell you later, okay?" She cast her eyes downward as she reached for her glass.

"Chloe," Kate said, a bit of pleading in her voice, "if something happened... You have to tell me. We're...we're in this together, right?" She cleared her throat and glanced around nervously. "You and me are...you know, we...we're both victims. We need to deal with these things together. Please?"

_Kate... I never realized you looked at it that way. I know you felt that way about Rachel, but...I guess you and Chloe do have it in common._

"Yeah, you're right, Pumpkin," Chloe said, exhaling a sigh. The plea had caught her off guard, evident by her glassy eyes. "You're right, you should know." She roughly swiped at her eyes as a precaution for possible tears. "Yesterday at work, Sean Prescott came in and was just...being so fucking disturbing." She groaned and turned to Kate's father. "Sorry. If we're going to be honest with each other, you should know I cuss like it's going out of style."

_Ya._

"It's okay, Chloe," he said, looking more concerned than anything. "What happened?"

"He was just taunting me. It really seemed like he was out of his mind." She chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, a friend of mine who was there actually fucked him up pretty bad." She flared her nostril. "Freaked him up, whatever."

"Oh my gosh," Kate put her hands on either side of her head, "I can't believe that!"

"I can," Victoria said, crossing her arms. She looked like she was sinking in her seat. "Sean Prescott is a piece of shit without an ounce of empathy in his body. He's...just not the way a human is supposed to act."

"You're familiar with him?" Kate's father asked. Victoria glanced up at him with wide eyes.

_Wow, we are getting a lot out in the open here..._

"Uh, yeah," Victoria said, "I was actually really..." She turned to Kate and shook her head, fear clear in her features. Max noticed the slightest shifting of Kate's shoulder and figured she must have taken her hand under the table. "I was really close to Nathan," she admitted. "He was almost like a brother to me." Mr. Marsh straightened his posture and perked an eyebrow.

"Oh?" He seemed to be struggling with how to react, then hunched his shoulders as if the mere thought of it was exhausting. He looked around the table. "You kids are a unique group, aren't you?"

"This isn't even all of us," Max chuckled.

Eventually, the waiter brought their food to the table and they began to eat. Between bites, Chloe explained the rest of her encounter with Sean Prescott and the involvement of the police. The conversation organically transitioned into something more casual, with things like school and, in particular, photography taking center stage. When there was just the briefest of lulls, Chloe spoke up.

"So, I hate to keep veering back into negative stuff, but..." She tapped her fork against the plate. "It's really cool of you to do all of this, but isn't Mrs. Marsh sort of the bigger problem here?" The smile on Mr. Marsh's face worked itself into a straight line. "I mean, in all honesty, I don't really care if she hates us or thinks we're twirling pitchforks in our spare time, but I would feel better knowing things were on the mend for Kate's sake." Chloe puffed out her cheeks, flashing a a look of sadness.

_I think we're thinking the same thing... Even if this gets better, what's going to happen when they both find out about her and Vic? It feels like Kate isn't even worried about it..._

"I'm...actually going home tonight," Kate said. "At the very least to gather some things I left there and  _hopefully_  talk about it."

"Yes," her father said, "we're going to try and get some of this sorted out. I've been doing my best to patch it up, but I think Kate being there will do a lot of good." He smiled and reached for Kate's hand, giving it a small squeeze. "The main focus is just getting her to understand the way she behaved was unacceptable." He turned to Max and Chloe. "Now's not quite the time to try and tackle her beliefs regarding you two, unfortunately. But when we do cross that bridge, know that I'll do my best."

"That's really nice of you, Mr. Marsh," Max said.

"Hey, wait." Kate turned to Chloe with a perplexed look. "You said a friend of yours beat up Sean? Who did that?"

"Uh, Frank, actually," Chloe replied. An enormous smile bloomed on Kate's face.

"HA!" She slapped her palm on the table. "That's awesome!"

* * *

Once their meal was finished and all was paid for, the girls, joined by Kate's father, moved out into the cold night. Mr. Marsh dug into his coat pocket to retrieve his car keys, then stopped and stared up at the moon.

"I really do owe all of you a great deal," he said, not taking his eyes off the sky. "I can't tell you how heartbreaking it was to hear Kate was...in such a dark place. I had no idea."

"Dad," Kate said, shrinking uncomfortably. For all of her boldness in problem solving, that topic in particular was still understandably a sore spot. He turned to her and smiled, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I know," he said, "I just needed to say it." He held up his keys. "Did you want a ride back, Victoria?"

"Oh, thanks but I'll just hitch a ride with these two," she responded, pointing her thumb at Max.

_Well, that's presumptuous but alright._

"Okay," he said with a nod. He watched as Kate hugged each of the girls goodbye, then extended his hand to Max once again. She grasped it and smiled, noticing how much more natural it felt than earlier. When he offered it to Chloe, she made a 'psht' noise and hugged him instead. He was hesitant, but then returned it.

"See, I'm infecting you with gay," Chloe whispered with a broad grin. Max immediately reached up and grabbed a tuft of her hair, pulling her head back.

"And we're leaving," she said dryly. For the first time all night, Mr. Marsh burst into a loud, uncontained laughter.

After a final goodbye, Max, Chloe and Victoria went to the opposite end of the parking lot where the truck waited. Max slid herself into the middle, giving Victoria enough room to fit without being squished. All three released a sigh of relief simultaneously, which sparked laughter from each of them. Then, Max caught a blur in the rear-view mirror and a second later Kate was yanking open the passenger door.

_That was actually terrifying for a second._

"Hey," she whispered, leaning into the truck with a tiny smile, "I forgot something." Before anyone could ask, she darted forward and kissed Victoria. Chloe jerked in the other direction in search of Kate's father, but realized they were safely obscured by other vehicles. "Okay," Kate laughed, "I should go." As she moved away, Victoria caught her by the arm and pulled her back into another kiss.

_Still cute. Still weird as fuck._

"This is so fucking stressful," Chloe snickered, bonking her forehead against the steering wheel. "It feels like we're smuggling a criminal!"

"What, like, Orange is the New Blackwell?" Max laughed. She suddenly looked horrified, but maintained a smile. "Victoria is writhing against me, I don't know what to do!"

_Eugh! What is that motion!?_

"Alright!" Chloe snipped, reaching across Max and slapping Victoria on the back of the head. "We get the fucking point, you guys!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Kate squealed, giving one last peck and then scurrying away. Victoria jerked the door closed and, without a word, lunged across Max to attack Chloe.

"Oh my god, everyone has lost their fucking mind!" Max shouted, trying her best to shoulder Victoria back into her seat. Once she had successfully done so, Chloe started the truck and flashed Victoria a smirk.

"You know, Vic," she said, "you really picked a hell of a person to fall in love with. Some  _real_ forbidden fruit shit, no?"

"I know," Victoria replied, burying her face in her hands. "I'm in so much fucking trouble..." She turned and glared at them. "Fucking evil snake. Both of you!"

"Meh," Chloe said, checking behind her as she reversed out of the parking space, "I like snakes."


	48. Testing The Waters

Max stood on the first step, head angled back and jaw drooping slightly as she stared at the large doors. People moved past her in a consistent stream, but she didn't pull her attention away to find out who any of them were. Over and over, the doors opened quickly then started to slowly close, then yanked open again before they could completely shut. She wasn't  _thrilled_ to be going through them any moment. Any...moment. She was much more hesitant than she expected. Not from any sort of social anxieties, but because she knew going through those doors meant a true transition into a new segment of her life. Suddenly, she felt a hand on the top of her head.

"Trevor or Justin?" she asked without turning around. The laugh she received in response was lazy and slow. She smirked. "Justin."

"We have a winner," he chuckled. She faced him and smiled, holding her arms out for a hug.

"Dude, I missed those glassy eyes!" Max said. Her hugged her back with only one arm, the other too busy holding a backpack at his knees by its top strap. "How was your break?"

"Chill," he replied, bobbing his head with the urgency of molasses. "Mostly played video games and slept which is pretty much my dream. You?"

_Dramatic as hell. Some would say literally._

"Yeah, it was cool. Varying degrees of excitement. I was here for the whole break and it can actually get a little creepy," she said. He nodded with a serious expression as though he were  _very_ aware of this fact. Max snickered under her breath, imagining what sort of experience he'd had to treat the topic so reverently. She turned back to the doors of Blackwell and sighed. "So...school, amirite?"

"You right," he said, hoisting the bookbag up and sliding one of his arms through the strap. "All good things, know what I mean?"

_I kind of ignored that lesson for a while, huh?_

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, crossing her arms with a pout. "Well, at least I get to meet the new photography teacher today. So...that's nice, I guess. What do you have first?"

"What? I have no fuckin' idea, man," Justin said, bursting into laughter. Max narrowed her eyes at him.

_You'd lose your head if you didn't need it to smoke._

"Seriously? You're ridiculous," she snarked, shaking her head.

"There's only so many classrooms, Maxzilla. I'll find the right one at some point," he said.

"Yeah, have fun with that," she replied. She groaned and held her arm out, bending it at the elbow. "Well, shall we?" Justin took some time to think it over, the hesitation clear on his face. He shook his head back and forth wildly in a mock tantrum.

"Fine!" he huffed, hooking his arm with hers, "we shall."

As soon as they had entered the school, the noise of busy hallways flooded her ears. She didn't find it entirely unpleasant. She was grateful when the girls' dorms became a bit louder, finally ousting the eerie quiet she had grown to dislike. Similarly, the familiarity of the bustling school struck something of a soothing note.

"Well, we made it," she said as they broke the link of their arms. "It was a treacherous journey but by god, we made it."

"Hooray," he responded with empty enthusiasm. "Anyway, thanks for the moral support but I need to go take a leak and then I guess try to figure out where the fuck I'm supposed to go."

_I love the image of him poking his head into every classroom until he finds the right one._

"Yeah, sure," Max chuckled as they high-fived, "good luck plugging the leak." His chest heaved with a contained laugh and he headed off toward the bathroom.

Taking her time to look around, she slowly moved through the main hall. The Christmas decorations had all been removed, replaced with fliers and posters for Valentine's Day. That was an exciting thought, at least. She and Chloe were still accumulating all of their 'firsts,' and Valentine's Day seemed like a particularly important one. As she turned into the hallway where her locker was located, she smiled when she saw Warren. He was rooting through his locker sleepily with some sort of breakfast bar hanging from his mouth.

"Hey you," she said, leaning her shoulder into the locker next to his. He turned to her and muffled what Max assumed must be a greeting. Realizing what he said was incoherent, he held up an index finger and chomped down, then set the rest of the bar down.

"Yo," he finally choked out after a bit of a struggle to swallow. "Pretty weird to be back, right?"

"A little, yeah," she admitted. "I was getting pretty used to not cooking my brain over impossible math and science."

_Just like...a crock-pot of incomprehension._

"Not me, dude. I'm in my element now!" He clenched his fist in tame celebration. A scowl took root in his features and he pulled a piece of paper out of the locker. "For the most part," he said, looking it over for just a moment before tossing it back.

"Hm? Why you being salty?" Max asked.

"Ugh," he said, "I got A's on all of my exams except chemistry." He turned to her with a look of disbelief. "Chemistry! I thought for sure I nailed it..."

"Oh wow, you're such a dick," Max laughed. She put the back of her hand against her forehead. "Woe is me, I've committed a great sin in letting my perfection falter!" He tried to say something and she doubled down on the act. "Alas!"

"Ha ha," he responded dryly. "It's not a big deal, just a little disappointing. I just like to do my best. Nothing wrong with that."

"Well, that's what happens when you don't get Professor Caulfield to help you out," she said with a chuckle. He raised an eyebrow to show his bewilderment. "Oh, back in the uh," she leaned in closer to him, "other timeline, I helped you with a lab and you got a good grade!"

Warren winced and brought a hand to his face, briefly swaying as he did so. He grunted in discomfort and shivered. Max was confused for only a second before she realized.

_Ah! Oh no!_

"Oh  _fuck,_ I forgot!" she yelped, grabbing him by the shoulders. "I'm so, so sorry! I completely forgot! Are you okay?"

"Yep, yeah," he said, blinking a few times before giving a small shake of his head. "S'all good, accidents happen." He puffed out his cheeks and blew the air out slowly. "Welp, that was a new one."

_I'm so stupid._

"Warren, seriously, I am so sorry. I forgot that was even a thing," she said.

"It hasn't happened since when you first told me about it?" he asked, turning back to his locker and retrieving a book.

"No! I've been good. Total lapse in memory." She hunched forward as if ashamed and narrowed her eyes. "Are you...sure you're okay? It almost looked like it hurt."

"Hey, forreal, I'm okay," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If anything, it just reminds me time travel is weird and science is a lie so that's pretty neat."

_I can't tell if he's just playing it off or not..._

"Ugh, that sucks." She frowned and held her hand up as if taking an oath. "I promise I'll be even more careful."

"Alright, alright," he laughed, "this pouty Max thing is killing me. Stop it, okay?" She hesitantly nodded. "Okay, good. I've gotta get to my first class. Let me know if you want to chill later, alright?" He smiled widely at her, which she returned, then he was off down the hall.

_That's a bit of a rough start to the day._

She opened her locker and took the things she knew she'd need for her first class, leaving everything else behind. She jumped at the sudden sound of the bell ringing and slammed the locker closed, taking off up the steps in a hurry.

* * *

It took approximately a minute before the novelty of being in class again wore off. The warmth from the heater had reversed any sense of being awake and she spent most of the lesson trying not to doze off and bust her face on the table. Thankfully, the class was pretty light as it served for a minor introduction to what she'd be learning during the semester. This time when the bell rang, she was doubly grateful for it. There was no way she wouldn't be wide awake for her next class.

She returned to her locker and switched out her necessary materials, then took a deep breath. Turning around, she stared at the doorway leading into the classroom, feeling a miniscule bit of unease slosh around in her stomach. She realized she hadn't been in that room for months. Not since she had rewritten time once and for all. Clearing her mind, she entered the room.

"Max!" Victoria called, snapping her fingers to aid in getting her attention. When she got Max looked at her, she stopped snapping and pointed at an empty seat at the table next to Taylor. Of course, Kate was next to Victoria. Max found herself thinking about the last photography class she had attended.

_Victoria and Nathan were being bullies and...and Kate didn't come. She went to the roof instead. And now we're all friends and sitting together? Kate and Victoria are together? This is...a crazy reminder of how things changed. How I changed things._

"We're sitting together," she said as she sat down, though it was more of an audible observation than directed at anyone in particular.

"Well, yeah," Taylor said. "It's better than you sitting by yourself like a little emo kid, right?" Max rolled her eyes and turned to her.

"I'm always going to be emo," she said. Taylor and Kate laughed, but Victoria seemed to be thinking it over.

"It actually is pretty crazy, huh?" She leaned over to dig through her bag, then straightened back out with a notebook in hand. She flopped it on the table with a flair of drama and made a sound of disgust. "I haven't looked in this for so long. Want to know what the last thing I wrote was?"

"What was it?" Kate asked. Max couldn't help but notice how liberal she was being with her leaning on Victoria. When Victoria opened the notebook, Max had to keep herself from visibly reacting. The format of the words, the purple ink, the small drawing in the corner... It was very familiar.

_Oh man, Vic..._

"It's this stupid little rant I wrote," she said. When no one responded, her shoulders slouched. "Ugh, okay. It says: My phone is dead and I'm bored. Time to bust out my poesy. Why did I give up the word for the image? Because I suck. But..." she scowled, "Mark Jefferson rules. Everyone in here loves him. But he only seems to care about..." She glanced at her arm when she felt Kate's hands wrap around it, then she looked at Max. "Max C. I want to hate her, but she wouldn't care. Envy is a sin, Vic." She laughed sadly and closed the book. "Get over yourself," she whispered.

"Woah," Taylor said, patting her hands on the table awkwardly, "I guess that's kind of fucked up for several reasons, huh?" Kate glared at her.

"Taylor!" she hissed. Taylor's hands shot up from the table, now acting as a show of surrender.

_She probably feels like shit. The amount of guilt inside this girl..._

"I mean," Max said, looking down at her notebook as she nervously scribbled nonsense, "I was jealous of you too, of course." Victoria stared at her for a moment, then smirked as she propped up her head with a hand.

"We don't look good in green, I don't think," she said. "You didn't have any reason to be jealous of me. You do your own thing and it's really great. I'm actually trying to take cues from you." She regarded Kate again and smiled. "Well, I guess  _now_ you have a reason to be jealous but, yanno."

"That was cute," Kate said, squeezing Victoria's arm affectionately.

"It's getting a bit gratuitous at this point, isn't it?" Max asked Taylor. The girl snickered and shook her head.

"Yeah, because we didn't put up with you and Chloe being disgusting for months. I'm immune to this shit now." She playfully flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Just you wait, I'm gonna find a guy and I'll get my revenge."

_This is going to be a thing we go through with every friend, isn't it?_

"Oh boy, I can't wait," Max replied sarcastically. Suddenly, Victoria's eyes grew wide as they traced over Max's shoulder. She turned in her seat just in time to see a woman hurrying into the room with folders in her arms. She dropped them on her desk and faced the class, smiling with embarrassment around the edges.

Max hadn't really thought about it, but she now realized she hadn't actually seen a picture of the new teacher. She was younger than she expected, looking like she couldn't have been out of college more than a few years. She leaned more toward Ms. Grant's casual fashion as opposed to dressing in what would be considered 'professional attire.' In fact, it seemed like she'd have no trouble fitting in with any average pack of hipsters. Her her was tied into a bun, making the multiple piercings in her ears visible. As if punctuating Max's assessment, she pushed her thick rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose.

_She seems...cool? My style, at the very least._

"So," she clapped her hands together, "I'm late for my first class ever! We're off to a great start!" That brought a quiet wave of laughter out of the class, which seemed to help her relax. She scampered over to the door and shut it, then went back to center stage. "I'm your new photography teacher! I'm so excited to finally meet you all." She turned to the whiteboard and scribbled 'Ms. Waters' on it. She proudly stepped back from the board, then frowned. "Is that weird to do for high school?"

_Aw, she's really awkward. I like her!_

"My name is...obviously Ms. Waters," she said dryly, rolling her eyes as she pointed at the board. "I don't mind if you call me Maddie, though. We can do that until someone abuses it and I'm forced to go back on it," she laughed. "I know how it works, it's inevitable." She did a pretty good job of switching eye contact with different students as she spoke. "A little bit about me, I guess. I'm a recent graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology but have been working as a freelance photographer since just after high school. I don't really lean toward any specific style, but like to chase whatever is currently capturing my interest."

_She already seems way less pretentious than Jefferson._

As she went over to her desk, Max turned back to Victoria and shrugged. The girl returned the gesture as if to say 'so far so good.' Ms. Waters dug through one of the folders she had brought in with her and held up two photographs.

"I try to be well-rounded. These are two of my favorite landscape shots I've taken. I'll pass them around." She approached Stella and held the photos out for her to take, making sure to offer her a big smile. "Interestingly, neither of them have been accepted anywhere I've submitted them, but they're still some of my favorites." She moved her hands in circles around each other as she explained. "I kind of find comfort in that. It reassures me that this is my passion and, above all else, I do it for me." She returned to her desk and grabbed a piece of paper. "That's what we're going to talk about today. Keep it casual to ease back in. I want to know where you land on the photography spectrum. If it's your passion, a hobby, or if you just took this class because you thought it'd be easy!" She was quick enough to search through the reactions of the students and smirked when she caught some nonvocal confessions. "But first, I'm going to take roll."

As she began going through the list of names, murmurs filled the classroom, presumably giving first impressions of their new teacher. After each one, she took an extra second to assign a face to the name. She was excited in a way that was both positive and a manifestation of nervousness. She stumbled when she reached a specific name.

"Kate Ma-" She stared at the paper, pencil ready to make a check mark. Her expression changed in an instant, swinging from perky to an honest sadness. She looked up from the paper slowly. "Kate Marsh?"

_I wonder if she really knew what she was getting into._

"Here," Kate said, sheepishly raising her hand. Ms. Water's reaction hadn't gone unnoticed, and the atmosphere in the room took a nosedive. She stared at Kate for a moment, as if thinking of something to say, then conjured an obviously forced smile as she went back to the list. Kate bowed her head in embarrassment.

"So..." Ms. Waters said once she had finished roll call. She was clearly uneasy as she scanned the room. "I know that very horrible things happened last semester. I, uh...there's really nothing I can say that you haven't already heard or would do the situation justice. But I want you all to know that I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about anything. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make this as comfortable as I can. Please,  _please_ let me know if I can do anything differently to help make that happen." Though it probably wasn't a conscious move, she was looking at Kate when she finished. In response, the blonde did her best to smile back at her.

She couldn't say anything, but Max also took comfort in her words. It happened very infrequently, but there were moments when keeping her experience in The Dark Room a secret made her heart ache. She hoped it wasn't petty to think it, but sometimes she wished she could be included in the outpouring of support Kate received. Instead, she held tightly to her memories, refusing to let them escape to anyone but Chloe.

_She at least seems sincere... That's good. I hope Kate likes her too. I hope this...works out._

"It's a little hard to segue from that," Ms. Waters admitted, stepping backwards in a shy manner, "but I wanted to address it. Having a black cloud hanging over our heads wouldn't do us any good" She took a deep breath. "Okay, um, let's start with a simple question. Who here actually likes photography? That it's something you'd want to honestly want to pursue?" Max hesitated, but raised her hand once she saw Victoria's in the air. A few more people put their hand up as well. "That's actually more than I was expecting," Ms. Waters laughed. "Hm...Victoria, right?" she asked, pointing at the girl. "Tell me what about photography inspires you."

* * *

"But she seems cool?" Chloe asked as she grabbed another slice of pizza. Somewhere along the line, sitting on the floor of Max's room while they ate had become the norm. Perhaps it was just the routine of it, but Max had grown to really like it. In a way, it almost felt like a meditative experience. She figured it was the closest she was going to get to a sense of detaching from material things.

"Yeah, she really does," Max replied, chomping into a slice herself. "The class was pretty fun and it sort of gave me and Vic the opportunity to gush about how obsessed we are with taking photos. I didn't think of it before, but she's really kind of brave to take the job. Her first teaching gig ever and she takes the place of a famous sociopath?"

"She is," Chloe agreed. "I wouldn't want to be in her shoes, that's for damn sure. And her actually being awesome is a huge plus... What's that look for?" Max had a distant look in her eyes, as if lost somewhere in her own head.

"I...don't know," she said. "It's not fair of me, but...we all thought Jefferson was cool. He had us all fooled. I don't actually think there's anything wrong with her, but it's still a lingering thought."

_I hate how much of an effect he's had._

"I think that's understandable, babe." Chloe nudged Max with her foot. "And I'm sure she's well aware of that too. I'm not...trying to discount your nerves but I don't think lighting's going to strike twice on that."

"No, I know," Max said. "I guess it's just something that'll pass with time." She ate her piece of pizza up to the crust and then handed it to Chloe. "Anyway, yeah, that was my day. How was work? Frank started training today, right?"

"Yes!" Chloe said giddily. "It's so fucking bizarre to see that man nervous. I kept checking in on him and from what I could gather, he was doing pretty well. I didn't get any complaints from the customers, anyway. But I'm sure Pete was keeping it easy and helping out a lot." She let out a disbelieving chuckle. "I'm going to be pretty bummed when he moves to night shift entirely."

"Aw, yeah." Max slowly fell back until she was lying on the carpet. "But still, it's really nice to hear he's got a job. A morally acceptable one, anyway." She lifted her head to look at Chloe. "What do you think Rachel would say?"

"Ha!" Chloe smiled as she shook her head. "She'd be so fucking confused. But I guess she'd be really proud of him too, right? I've noticed..." She grew contemplative. "I've noticed that I've been sort of...cleaning up my memories of her. Everything got so fucked up and who knows how she really felt about anything. If she actually loved Frank. But when I don't slow down to really think it over, it's like that's just true in my head. I don't remember all the bad stuff." She brought one knee closer to her chest and rested her arm on it. "Is that messed up? Just like, covering up the bad things and only remembering the good?"

"No, I don't think so," Max said. "I think that's just how memories work. When you're close with someone and then something happens where you drift apart or circumstances force you apart, how much you cared about them and miss them takes priority. And I think that's a really nice thing, to be honest."

_Maybe also a little dangerous if you forget why you broke up with someone._

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Chloe replied. "I can't remember a single negative thing about my dad. Or I guess, anything that was bad is just something I miss now." She laughed as she narrowed her eyes. "Or were you talking about me?"

_I'm so obvious, ugh._

"That was kind of the example in my head, yeah," Max said, blushing a little. "I only ever thought of you fondly and missed you. But...I guess you kind of hated me, huh?"

"Oh, shut up," Chloe said, getting on her knees and shuffling over to her. "I didn't hate you. I probably said I did a million times, but I was just angry at everything. Maybe angry because I missed you so much if...that makes sense? Sort of sounds like an oxymoron."

"Well, you are  _my_  oxymoron," Max teased. She shrieked as Chloe jumped on top of her.

"That wasn't even clever," Chloe murmured as she nipped at Max's ear.

"Look who's firing cannonballs through their glass house!" Max laughed. "Like ninety percent of your jokes are awful but I laugh at them because I want to get in your pants." Chloe sat up, straddling Max as she looked down with a look of shock.

"Is that  _true?_ " she asked. For a second, Max thought she might be genuinely offended. "Ninety seems  _really_ excessive. Give me eighty at least!"

_Pfft, what? I was being generous. ...who am I kidding, I love it._

"I'm not going to barter on the quality of your sense of humor," Max said. Chloe's jaw only dropped lower.

"My whole world is crumbling," she said, her tone far away and somber. "Next you're going to tell me your name isn't even Max Caulfield! Who even  _are_ you!?"

_Heh, so dumb._

"Don't be silly," Max giggled, "of course my name is Max Caulfield. I mean, for the moment..." Chloe perked an eyebrow. "Well, it's just..." Her eyes glimmered with something lovely as she grinned. "I'd kind of like to add a hyphen at some point."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, Max finally gets to resume her photography classes and we meet the new teacher! I enjoyed figuring her out and drawing from my experiences with 'cool' teachers in the past. I might end up using her more than I initially thought just because it'd be fun to flesh her out. :)
> 
> Not much else to say about the chapter, but I'm really looking forward to getting into the next few! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter aaaand thank you for reading aaaand I'll see you guys for the next one!


	49. Baking Bad

Max stared at her phone, her thumbs nimbly dancing along the letters as she composed a text. The music in the car was turned all the way down so that the only thing she could really hear was the continuous purring of the motor. From the corner of her eye, she watched another set of fingers tap away on a phone, though they seemed to move much faster than hers.

**Max:** Promise it's cool that we use the house?

**Chloe:** yea its cool! mi casa es sue casa!

**Max:** Who is Sue!? Are you cheating on me!?

**Chloe:** i saw the fuck up right away. will the day ever come when u don't torch me about typos?

**Max:** When I'm dead and not a second before.

"Okay, yeah, we're still good to go," Max said, leaning back against the seat with a smile. She raised her hand and grazed the car freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. "I didn't know you had a car, actually."

_Pine-y. I like._

"I don't really use it that much," Dana said, dropping her phone into the cup holder between the seats. "Campus life and all that." She twisted the knob on the radio to raise the volume. "Okay, so we need to stop at the store for a few things and then we'll head to Chloe's. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Max chuckled, "sounds good." She bent forward and dug through her bag, grabbing her camera and sitting back straight. "I don't have any photos of you," she said, aiming it at Dana.

"Get my good side," she responded, smiling back and throwing up a peace sign.

It had been a few weeks since classes resumed and Max had more or less re-acclimated to the life of a student. Despite a rough transition into early mornings and homework, she was pleased to find herself gelling with the subject matter and not falling behind just yet. In addition, photography class with Ms. Waters very quickly lost its status of uncertainty and became something Max looked forward to with true enthusiasm. It was actually very fun and lacked that air of elitism that Jefferson could conjure during his lectures. Not to say that was the biggest improvement of having a new teacher, of course.

"This it?" Dana asked, already pulling into the driveway before receiving confirmation.

"This is the Price household, yep!" Max replied. She twisted her torso to collect the grocery bags off the backseat. "Do you like, know how to do this stuff? I don't know much about yum making."

_But I'm good at eating it! Heheheh._

"Not...really," she admitted with a snicker. "But that's part of the fun! We'll figure it out together!"

When they made it to the door, Max reached into her pocket to retrieve the house key Chloe had given her. It was a 'no big deal' kind of thing, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of giddiness at the idea of her and Chloe having the  _same_  keys to the  _same_ house, as temporary as it was. Most things seemed like tiny glimpses into the future she couldn't wait for.

David and Joyce had left for their cruise just a day ago, marking the beginning of a ten day domestic adventure with Chloe and Max sharing a real, honest to god house. Though they had plenty of practice over the winter break hunkering down in her dorm, graduating to a home with a kitchen and...television filled her with excitement.

_It's kind of funny. Chloe's lived here her whole life and I've been here god knows how many times. Yet now...it seems completely new._

"This place is cute," Dana said, following Max's action of kicking her shoes off by the door. "You know, I just found out David was Chloe's stepdad not that long ago. Trev was telling me about it."

"Yeah, there's a lot of scream filled history there," Max laughed. "But it's better now. It's pretty cute how they get along."

"That's nice to hear." She wandered into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. "I sometimes feel shitty because my parents are still together and actually pretty happy."

_Hmm. I've never really thought of that._

"Mine are too. We're just lucky, I guess," Max responded. She reached into one of the bags and pulled out a box of brownie mix. "How hard can this be, right? It's not like we'll burn the house down."

_There...is a fire extinguisher around here though, right?_

"Of course not," Dana giggled, rolling her eyes. Then, they narrowed and she seemed to think it over. "Let's not jinx ourselves." She made popping sound with her mouth and navigated through her phone. "The internet has every answer ever, so I'm sure we'll be fine."

"There's instructions on the box, Dana," Max chuckled, holding it out for her to see. She puckered her lips and slowly put her phone down on the counter, offering no verbal response. "Keep it on file, though. You never know!"

After retrieving the necessary pans and measuring utensils needed, they emptied out the rest of the bag from the grocery store. Max held up a heart shaped cookie cutter.

"This is still the cutest thing," she said.

"I know, right? I had to grab that when we saw it." She read over the box once again, her hand firmly planted on her hips as she did so. When she was done, she slammed it on the table and pointed at Max. "WE HAVE TO COOK!"

"Jesus, okay, Heisenberg. Cool your jets," Max laughed. She held a hand out. "I mean, technically it'd be bake anyway."

"Okay, look," Dana said, drooping her head forward and staring at Max, "no one likes a smarty pants."

_Hmph. Chloe does._

"Heh, whatever." Max slipped a thumb through one of her belt loops and tugged a few times. "Don't be all jealous because my jeans are learned." She reached forward and tapped the box. "Plus we need to wait for it to preheat."

"Fine," Dana giggled, taking a seat at the little half table. "I swear I'm not like, actually stupid. I'm just kind of nervous because I want them to turn out good."

_Well._

"I don't think you're stupid," Max said. "Did you and Trevor have any other big plans for Valentine's Day?"

"I don't know," Dana said, "I don't really think so? I'm going to get him something else, obviously, since these are like a pre-Valentine's Day gift but maybe we'll just try and go out to eat somewhere? It'd probably be too crowded, right?"

"Mhm," Max said, shaking a can of cooking spray, "I think it's one of the busiest days of the year. And Mother's Day?" She coughed when the spray came out as a cloud and kicked back into her face. "This is fucking dangerous."

"Yeah, please don't die," she laughed. She opened the box and tore open the bag of mix. "What about you and Chloe? Got anything romantic planned? A candlelit bath with the finest of wine?" She stopped and looked up at Max. "That image though."

"You're a perv," Max said, shaking her head with a smile. "I have something planned for her, yeah, but I think we'll probably stay at home for the night and just be together. It's like my favorite thing to do." She perked an eyebrow. "Candlelit bath..."

"You can have that one, free of charge," Dana snickered. She emptied the bag into a large mixing bowl and, carefully following the instructions, added each of the needed ingredients. She let out a frustrated 'fuck!' when a bit of eggshell made its way into the mix, causing Max to laugh. Once everything was added, she leaned back and smiled. "So...I guess time for the special ingredient, right?" She held up a small bottle and grinned.

_Oh boy, here comes the big guns._

"So...do you know how strong this is going to be?" Max asked.

"I was told it wasn't going to be too bad," she replied, unscrewing the top. She took a whiff and recoiled. "Wooo fuck, that is...that's definitely weed."

"Here, I wanna see," Max giggled, leaning toward the bottle. "Oh my god," she said, wincing as she clapped a hand over her nose, "is this going to make the house smell? I didn't even think of that!"

"Um," Dana looked over the bottle, "I'm actually not sure." A glint of concern dashed through her eyes. "How long are her parents going to be out of town? I don't want to get you guys in trouble."

"More than a week," Max said. "I think that if it does stink we could probably Febreze it to death before they get home. ...right?"

_That'd be a tough one to explain._

"Prrrrobably?" Dana shrugged. Max sighed with a smile.

"Well, it's too late now," she said. "We have to cook!"

"That's the spirit!" Dana put the cap back on the bottle, then pulled out the dropper and stared at it intently. "I could just pour the whole thing?"

"No?" Max tilted her to the side with a disapproving look of jest. "I think  _that's_ what you should be looking up on your phone. And since we bought a second box, maybe we should make a normal batch of brownies too." She shrugged casually. "Because I just want brownies."

"Okay bossy," Dana teased, scooping up her phone for the appropriate information.

After checking multiple pages, just to see how well the information lined up, she very carefully set to work on 'enhancing' the mix. When she was finished, they popped the pan into the oven and gave each other a proud nod.

"And now we wait," Max said, clapping her hands together happily. "We can watch TV or something while it bakes?"

"Sure, sounds good to me," Dana replied, following her out into the living room. They sat down together and Max turned on the television, easing herself back into the cushion comfortably. Dana was quiet for just a moment before turning herself sideways and slinging her arm over the back of the couch. "Okay, listen," she said, her eyes shining with a dose of mischief, "you need to tell me about this Victoria and Kate thing."

_Cue the Whammy sound. Brr brr drr drrrrrrrr._

"They're terrible at hiding it, aren't they?" Max chuckled, running a hand through her hair.

"Are they...trying to hide it?" Dana laughed. Max gave a tired, confused shrug in response. "But seriously...what in  _the_ fuck happened there?"

"Dude, I'm not even saying this as some kind of secret keeping thing, but it's way too long of a story." She mindlessly flicked through a few channels. "To keep it simple: Victoria felt guilty, Kate is a divine creature and now their lips go together sometimes." She set the remote down and lightly pressed her hands together to simulate a kiss.

"Very bad gossip skills," Dana snarked, "but I get you. I can't imagine it being anything other than...uh, fucking crazy?" Max nodded in response, her eyes wide as if to say 'you don't even know.' "Well, can't ever say Blackwell's not interesting, right?"

"We are literally a teen drama show," Max agreed. "Degrassi bows at our feet."

"Well, if we were, you'd be the main character, huh?" Dana winked. "Everything happens around you."

_I don't think I'm ready to be on the cover of Teen Magazine._

"Yep," Max rolled her eyes, "I'm just a big ol' magnet of drama. The doctors say I'll grow out of it eventually." She raised an eyebrow and turned in the direction of the kitchen. "Uh oh..."

"It...really smells," Dana said, cringing before putting her head in her hands. "At least it's not like, terrible. You know how the smell of gasoline is kind of good even though it's really not? I think this is like that."

"Sometimes I worry I'm going to have to pry Chloe away from the gas pump because she likes the smell so much. It's Pavlovian or something. Or..." Max exhaled a laugh as she frowned. "You know, come to think of it, she's really bad with Sharpies too."

"Oh, I know that game!" Dana giggled. "I think...I had an actual problem in middle school?"

They continued to casually chat until the oven finally beeped, and they both sprang from the couch in excitement to see the finished result. After checking the consistency with a toothpick, they proudly set the pan on the counter, high fiving to punctuate their success.

"It's alive!" Max cheered, holding her fists up victoriously. "I guess we can start on the normal ones and when these cool down we'll make them into little hearts?"

"Uh huh, I guess so," Dana said, turning to pick up the other pan and sliding it in. "I didn't really think about how the stencils would leave a bunch of ugly chunks. They can be our precious little rejects." Just then, the sound of a car door slamming could be heard from outside.

"Speaking of," Max said with a grin, "looks like she's finished work." She prodded Dana in the chest. "If she's not stoked about this, I'm going to kill you."

"Honeys, I'm home," Chloe declared as the door swung open. "Bringin' home that bacon for my little stay-at-home." Max hurried to the doorway and grabbed each side of the frame, leaning out to flash Chloe a smile.

"Did you really bring bacon!?" she asked, then huddled in on herself when she saw Chloe stop dead and look around in confusion.

"Uh...why does the house smell like a straight up Snoop Dogg concert?" She slowly reached behind her to close the door.

_Ah no, that's a worrying look._

"Well, um, me and Dana had this idea to...make you an early Valentine's present and..." Max said, stumbling through her explanation. From the corner of her eye, she saw Dana appear around the open side of the kitchen, skating across the hardwood floor in her socks. She had her hands together, cradling something on top of a napkin.

"We made you delicious baked goods!" she proclaimed, holding it out to Chloe once she was within arm's length.

"Maybe," Max corrected, pointing at it from the doorway. "It remains to be seen if they are delicious or not." Chloe took the napkin and peered down at it.

"I'm actually at a loss for words," she said. "It's in a little heart shape."

"Yeah, it's cute!" Dana said, giving Max a thumbs up. Chloe raised it to her mouth and was about to take a bite before Dana lurched forward. "Wait, hold on, maybe you shouldn't eat it. The smell isn't just...you know, coincidental." Chloe's eyes bulged.

"Wait, you made edibles?" She looked at Max with a blank expression. "What the fuck Twilight Zone is this?"

_The...good one?_

"I can't actually tell if you're like...okay with it or mad or what," Max said, rocking her body side to side nervously. Chloe burst into laughter.

"No, no. It's hella cool. Just...not what I was expecting when you asked if you guys could use the kitchen." She slowly looked around. "It does fucking  _reek_  in here."

"Yeah, sorry," Dana said. "We didn't really think that possibility through. But um, you like them? I figured it was a fun idea for you and Trevor. We're making some normal ones now so we can actually eat them."

"It's a heart," Chloe said, pointing it out once again as she held the brownie up. "That's so lame and so...fitting."

"It's not lame!" Max laughed, finally slipping through the doorway and putting her arms around Chloe. "It's super cute and very cool."

"It is totally lame," Chloe snickered. "But also the other things too. It's like a little brownie version of you." Before Max could pretend to be offended, Chloe leaned forward and kissed her. "Thanks, we'll have to have some fun with these bad boys."

"Heheheh," Dana giggled with a somewhat devilish flair, "success! Success!" She crossed her arms and smirked. "I get a kiss too, right?"

"The kiss of death if you so much as pucker those lips," Max shot back, clinging to Chloe with half-lidded eyes. Dana threw her hands up.

"Wow, alright," she said, heading back into the kitchen, "that's cool, I'll just be over here sulking."

As they waited for the second batch to be done, Chloe ran over her schedule at the Two Whales with Max. Due to Joyce's absence, she'd be picking up more morning shifts so the other waitress could slide back to evening. Luckily, because of classes being back in session, this didn't bleed too much into her and Max's time together. She also told them about how Frank's RV had somewhat found a new residence tucked in the back of the Two Whales parking lot. Nobody seemed to object to it being there, so he figured it wouldn't hurt to keep it there more often than the beach. Of course, with Dana present, the story had to be greatly elongated to fill in all the blanks.

"Aaand ta-da!" Dana said, slamming her hand down on the stencil for the last time. "We're done!" She turned back to Max and Chloe. "So? How are they?"

"Pretty fucking good," Chloe replied, dropping the last piece into her mouth with two pinched fingers. Max was busy chewing, but did shoot her a thumbs up.

_We made a thing that is edible! In...two ways!_

"Nice! Okay, well at least the normal ones are decent." She picked up one of the left over pieces that didn't make it into the heart shape and ate it. "We should separate them into different bags and divvy them up so we each get to keep some."

Once they were all sorted, Dana tugged the cap off a marker and leaned over the table.

"Label the 'special' ones," she explained, touching the tip of the marker to the bag.

"Just do a star or something," Max laughed. "We don't need to advertise." Dana pointed the marker at her.

"Good point." She quickly drew a couple stars on the appropriate bags, then smiled. "So," she grew an impish grin, "head back to Blackwell and take 'em for a spin later? Double date?"

_Yuss! Double date with Dana and Trevor!_

"That sounds fuuuun," Chloe responded, wiggling her shoulders excitedly. "Just let us know when."

"Will do!" She patted her pockets and scooped out her car keys. "Well, I'll head back now. I need to take care of some planning for school Valentine's stuff." She chuckled and gently smacked a palm against her face. "Scandalous double life." Before leaving, she gave Max and Chloe each a hug, then stopped as she was halfway out the door. "Uh, sorry again about the smell." She shrugged and waved. "Anyway, ciao!"

"I like Dana," Chloe said, nodding with approval. Max smiled and leaned into her, breathing out a dreamy sigh. There was a beat of silence. "We need to buy a lot of Febreze."

"Oh, totally," Max replied.

* * *

"Put the porn away and open up," Chloe called through the door as she knocked. "We have some treats!" She stepped back and assumed an innocent stance when the door opened.

"Okay first of all, I wasn't watching porn," Warren muttered, staring at her with an unamused expression.

"Hey man, it's natural," Chloe said. "You're a growing boy." Her eyes darted to the side as she thought. "I mean, we're your parents when you're not at home so if we need to talk about birds and bees, I can-" The door shut in her face and she scoffed, throwing her hands in the air. "Teenagers! Ugh!"

"You're awful," Max snickered, lightly rapping on the door again. "Come on, Warren, I promise we won't be weird. We really do have treats." The door opened once more.

"You cannot even  _pretend_ to be able to keep that promise," he said with a smirk, backing out of the doorway. "What do you mean treats?"

"We have these adorable little heart brownies," Max said as she dipped into the room, jostling the small Ziploc bag. "We made a bunch and figured it'd be nice to pass some out. You can share them with Brooke!"

"Oh, that's cool." He took the bag and looked it over. "This can act as partial payment for you pinning me down in some kind of Valentine's Day trap with her."

_Oh god again with this._

"I said I was sorry!" Max rolled her eyes. "And besides, you'd have to get her something anyway. You should be thanking me for saving your ass."

"Do you know what you're gonna get her?" Chloe asked.

"I'm not sure yet, I don't really know what's appropriate. Flowers?" He sat down at his desk and shrugged.

"Flowers are cool," Chloe responded. "There's a shop not too far. It has a pretty decent selection."

_Brooke and flowers...eh._

"Mmn, is Brooke a flowers kind of girl?" Max asked. Warren shook his head  _immediately._

"Hell no. God no. I mean, I don't think?" His head lulled backward and he folded his hands in his lap. "I'm just not sure what else works with the holiday."

"You'll think of something," Chloe said. "If it's from the heart and blah, blah, blah."

"Yeah, alright," he laughed. "I guess I should take advice, or..." he scrunched his brow, "what could loosely be considered advice, anyway, from the gold standard of good relationships."

"That's actually pretty sweet," Max said, pressing a hand over her heart.

"Stay on your toes though." Chloe held a hand to the side of her mouth and leaned forward as if divulging a secret. Her eyes darted to the door. "Kate and Victoria are becoming quite the power couple. If it comes to war, I trust you'll be on our side."

_Heh, literally a white knight._

"Uh...sure," he snickered.

"But, speaking of those two," Max said as she shook the other bag of brownies in her hand, "we do have to stop by and drop them off." She put her hand on Chloe's forearm and smiled at Warren. "We'll catch you later. Have fun brainstorming on the gift thing." He huffed in response.

* * *

"Victor, you've received a parcel," Max said, trying her best at a posh accent as she knocked on the door. A few moments later, it opened and revealed a narrow eyed Victoria.

"Jesus, those eyes," Chloe chuckled.

_Her hosting skills could do with an upgrade._

"Hey you two," she greeted, crossing her arms. "What's up?"

"Not a ton," Max replied, holding out the Ziploc bag. "Dana and I made brownies so we're spreading the wealth." She poked one through the bag. "See, they're heart shaped so it is sentimental."

"Uh, thanks," Victoria snirked, taking them from her. "What a...weird and out of nowhere gift."

"Yeah, it's slowly sinking in how random this is," Max laughed. She turned to Chloe. "We're like a really weird Santa."

"Wouldn't it be Cupid?" Victoria asked, smirking in amusement.

"Hmm..." Max thought it over and pouted. "Yeah, I guess so, huh?"

"'Cause you're an angel," Chloe pointed out. Victoria rolled her eyes.

_Heheh gross._

"Well, thanks for the food," she said. "I gotta back to my homework though so I can hang with Kate later."

"Ew." Max tsk'd disapprovingly. "Oh yeah, make sure you share with her! Tay and Courtney too if you see them, but I won't hold you to that. They're very good if I do say so myself."

_I'll brag, I don't even care._

"Alright, alright," Victoria snickered, "I'll text you later to see if you want to hang."

* * *

"So but yeah," Trevor said matter-of-factly from the floor, "Valentine's Day is all corporate. Those little heart candies with the messages on them? I bet there's a code in those."

Only a few hours had passed before Max received the invitation text from Dana for their double date. They decided to meet in Trevor's room for a change, and she was surprised to find it actually quite orderly. However, when she saw Dana fussing over a crumpled up piece of paper, she knew it was probably mostly her doing. Max was lying down with her head in Chloe's lap, admiring her from below.

" _Well,_ " Dana laughed, "that hit him already." She reached across the bed and grabbed her laptop, clicking around until music began to play at a soft volume.

"What kind of code?" Max asked, reaching up to poke the underside of Chloe's chin.

"The love cheat code," Chloe responded.

"No way, man," Trevor waved his hand. "Probably some crazy shit, like if you took the third letter of each one it'd be all kinds of Illuminati stuff."

"Trev, you realize there's like hundreds of variations of those from multiple brands, right?" Dana giggled, planting her foot on the back of Trevor's head.

"Probably different languages, too," Max added. "Te amo...uno...eh...triangle eyeball." She closed her eyes in defeat. "I can't Spanish."

"Do you guys know what you want to do with your life?" Trevor asked with a sudden look of seriousness. Dana cringed and glared at Max.

_Wha?_

"Oh god, these aren't going to be like...bad trip brownies are they?" She bounced her foot on his head a few times. "Come back, don't go down that path. Follow my voice!"

"I'm still not sure," Chloe said. She placed her hands on her cheeks and rubbed them. "Something cool. Or something nice. I could be like, a therapist for little angry teenagers."

_Woah, that's an unexpected response._

"Or a rockstar," she added. Max grinned up at her.

_There it is._

"Oh," Trevor replied, "that's a good answer. Mine is that I want cereal." Dana burst into laughter.

"You fucking freak," she said, rocking herself forward to attack him. She threw her arms out to her sides. "Kay, there it is. My balance is gone."

"You're a cheerleader." Trevor leaned his head back to look at her. "I'm dating a cheerleader. Isn't that cool?"

"I mean, I kind of like it?" she responded with a smile.

"I'm dating a grungy, punk girl!" Max said, wiggling her head in Chloe's lap.

"Why are we just saying random facts?" Chloe asked. "I have ten fingers?"

"Because it's unexpected." Max wriggled her fingers mischievously. "It's cool. Edgy. Fighting the system."

"Eight and two thumbs," Trevor said, staring at his hands.

"No offense, but edgy is definitely not the word that comes to mind when I think of Max Caulfied." Dana chuckled as she fiddled with her laptop again. Max looked at her in feigned shock.

"I am  _so_ edgy, I've been in Hot Topic like four times!" she yelled.

"You are such a lightweight," Chloe said, smiling as she began running her fingers through Max's hair.

_I guess I kind of am, yeah..._

"Whatever," she teased, "not my faul- oooh!" She clapped a hand to her pocket and dug out her phone. "Vic's calling me?" She squinted and looked around. "Do I sound high?"

"Yeah, very." Dana nodded.

"Hey Victoria, what's up?" Max answered after a shrug of 'oh well.'

"Um, hi Max." It was Kate's voice.

_That's...weird._

"Kate? Why are you calling from Vic's phone?" Max sat up, the others in the room quieting down at her concern.

"It was just the closest one," she said. Her voice was mousier than usual. "I'm with Vic, we're watching a movie but now she's acting kind of weird." As she was about to ask for clarification, Max heard hysterical laughter in the background. It paused just long enough to release a joyous 'oh my god, his hair is so dumb!'

_Oh fuck, oh no!_

"Uh, I-I think I fucked up," Max stammered, springing up from the couch. She wobbled a bit and put her hand against the wall to steady herself. "I think I fucked up."

"What? How?" Kate's voice was calm, yet nervousness was evident. Max slapped a palm against her face, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Does that bag of brownies I gave Victoria have a little star on it?" she asked.

"Um..." She could hear Kate scrambling through the room. "No, I don't see one. Why?"

_What the fuck, did we screw up labeling them?_

"Okay, so...don't freak out," Max said, her thoughts thick and cloudy in her head, "but I think I accidentally gave her, uh, special brownies." Chloe and Dana's eyes shot wide in unison.

"Special?" she asked, and then a tiny crack scurried through her precious innocence. "Oh my gosh," she giggled, "like marijuana?"

"Yeeeah..." Max clamped one eye shut. "Did you eat one?"

"Uh uh," Kate responded.

_Oh thank Jesus Christ._

"Okay, well, obviously...don't." Max started to make her way to the door. "Do you need me to come down there?" She sighed and released a desperate laugh. "Full disclosure, I had one not too long ago and I'm feeling it pretty hard. But I can come down if you need me." Kate was quiet for a moment, but Victoria could still be heard giggling wildly.

"Is she just going to be like this?" Kate asked. "I don't really know anything about it. I don't have to worry about anything bad happening, right?"

"Um, no, I don't think so," Max said. "She'll probably just be really silly for a little while. Do you need me?"

"No..." The sound of Kate's lips smacking in contemplation could be heard. "I think I should try and handle it. She's my girlfriend and I should be able to do this kind of stuff." She started to laugh quietly. "I think the movie has her pretty entertained, anyway. We're watching Labyrinth."

_That's probably a trip. Now the hair comment makes sense._

"Alright, but if you need me at all, please let me know, okay?" Max was now pantomiming unintelligibly to Chloe.

"I will," Kate said. "Thanks, Max."

"Dude!" Max shouted after hanging up the phone, hurrying over to Dana. "You screwed up the labeling! Vic is like, stoned as heck right now!"

"Heck?" Trevor asked with a snicker.

"That doesn't make sense! I did it right!" Dana argued back, clasping her head.

"Is she okay? Is...Kate okay?" Chloe was leaning forward, ready to leave if necessary.

"Yeah, I think so." Max turned back to Dana. "Calm down, okay? Don't freak out. I think it's fine."

"Man, I feel so bad!" She dragged a hand down her face, one of her fingers tugging her eyelid. "I guess we should double check the rest of them and make sure." Max stared at her blankly and, without taking her eyes off her, tapped her thumb against her phone.

_This is such cliché sitcom shit, how did we fuck this up!?_

"Warrrren, hey," Max laughed nervously. "So, for no reason in particular I was just curious if you ate any of those brownies." She pressed the phone hard against her ear, straining her neck as if it'd help hear better.

"Yeah, I ate two of them almost immediately. They're super good!" he responded. Max breathed out a sigh of relief. "Why?"

"Just wondering how they were," she said. "Make sure you save some for Brooke." She hung up the phone and tossed it behind her onto the couch with Chloe. "Warren's fine."

At that, the room fell quiet, with only the gentle music from Dana's laptop dancing through the air. They all glanced at each other, though Trevor looked like he would fall asleep at any moment. As the tension slowly bled from them, Max grew a big smile. She started to giggle, then it grew into a full laugh. Chloe began to as well, and then both Dana and Trevor joined in. No one was sure how long the four of them laughed, but when all was said and done, tears were streaming down their face and they clutched their stomachs, radiating with the best kind of ache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey! How's everyone doin'? Big 'ol weird author's note comin' at ya.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter – it's been a long time since I set out with the sole intention of writing something that's just fun and silly for the sake of it. Usually I try to at least include a little bit of 'realness' or something that nudges the character development forward, but I just wanted this one to be goofy all the way through. Plus, though I'm sure it's obvious, I love Dana! Being able to include her and Trevor/Justin was a fairly big factor when coming up with the premise of the story (finding a way to blend the two endings so there weren't any restrictions on who I could/couldn't write about.) That Kate/Victoria "situation" certainly seems like it'd be interesting too. Maybe someday we'll explore that and see if anything of note happened there. Anyway, I hope it was entertaining at the very least – it'll be good to have something light before the next few chapters.
> 
> Also! I wanna do a little 'real talk' with you all, since I like doing these little peeks behind the curtain every so often. I know there's a pretty big spectrum of opinions when it comes to the idea of Max and the gang smoking (and drinking!) I've noticed a few times in comments/messages that it can sometimes seem like I'm giving the impression that I think marijuana is some sort of 'cure' to inner struggle and I want to be clear that that is SO not the case. I'm in no way like, "advocating" for it as a viable means of coping, but I can totally see how in some contexts it could come off that way. Whoops!
> 
> The truth, and this is something the people that I routinely talk to in the community know, is that I actively try to not project too much of my emotional state into the story. I don't really like to delve too deeply into topics like depression or whatever other shenanigans may be currently going on with myself. That's actually kind of what Play Crack the Sky is for – if you haven't checked that out yet, please do! The responses we've gotten to it have been SO touching, so despite the darker tone I'd really love if you gave it a glimpse. ...I'm derailing lol. Anyway, my point here is that even though I try to keep those sorts of influences out of the story, I do pull from my own experiences in a lot of different ways.
> 
> I don't know if a lot of people know this, but everything about Ouroboros was completely foreign to me when I started it. I'd never written something like this before – everything from the romance, to the banter, to the NSFW scenes and even the long running, casual 'TV series-esque' format were a departure from my writing before it. That's pretty much why the story is the way it is. I wanted to experiment. So, because of that, I had to try and figure out HOW to write these sorts of things, and when it comes to the social dynamic between all the friends, I can only rely on my own experiences with my own social circle. If we're being REALLY honest, there's some dialogue in Ouro that are things I or a friend have ACTUALLY said (especially those text chapters.) So when things like smoking or drinking or what can seem like over the top affection between friends find their way into the story, it's because that's how I personally know friends to be. For me, things like alcohol or drugs or parties or whatever are just a very normal (and fun!) part of how things go. I don't have a moral stance or soapbox to stand on for that stuff, I just never really saw it as a big deal. How OOC Max and friends can appear is such a tangled, subjective mess, but I personally can easily envision these kind of things happening.
> 
> Anyways, this gigantic wall of text isn't really JUST about weed and I hope that topic isn't what the comments focus on in particular, BUT it was a good lead in to discussing some of the inner workings of how I compose the story. I actually do have a lot of fun getting into that stuff! I really wouldn't mind finding some avenue to answer any questions people might have, whether it's about Ouro or PCTS in particular or something more general (I recently responded to a comment asking what race/class in WoW Max, Chloe and Warren would be when they played.) If any of you have any suggestions for something like that, I'd love to hear them and if there's interest, I'd totally set it up. Just something to think about!
> 
> AHHH. Well, I didn't expect to type such a massive author's note, but it just kind of fell out. Again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll have another coming your way as soon as I can! Thanks for reading and I loooove ya.


	50. Be Kind, Rewind

With a large amount of pep injected into her step, Max trotted down the stairs to the parking lot. Class did seem to drag a bit, but it was mostly offset by the shy, giggle filled air of Valentine's Day. She genuinely enjoyed looking around and seeing people happy together, though of course no one was a brighter example of that than Kate and Victoria. She'd still allow herself some pride in kinda, sorta,  _maybe_  having a substantial role in creating that. But now, school was over, and she'd not only have the day itself, but all weekend to spend with Chloe at 'their' house.

"Hey you!" Max greeted excitedly as she jerked open the door of the truck. With the momentum of the door's opening, a balloon flew directly into her face. She pulled it away from her and looked it over, smiling as she did so. It was pink and heart shaped, 'Happy Valentine's Day' written on it in an elegant font. When she looked back at Chloe, she found another balloon blocking her view. With a quiet snicker, she got into the truck and moved the peeked around the balloon. "I said, 'hey you!'"

"Hey," Chloe laughed, breaking what looked like a slightly angry expression. She smashed one of the balloons down and leaned toward Max for a kiss. "So, here's a thing I didn't realize before – balloons and driving are kind of a fucking nightmare." Her eyes darted to the side and she sucked air in through her teeth. "I actually had three when I got in the truck. Rolled the window down for a smoke and, uh..."

_Oops! Happy Valentine's Day, sky!_

"You don't even have a backseat, either," Max replied with a pitying smile.

"I do not," she said. "Fuckers were hitting me in the face the whole ride." She grabbed the strings and handed them to Max. "Pretend I got you a puppy and these are leashes." Max's head fell to the side and she gave a wry look.

"Sure." She held one of the balloons with both hands and stared at it. "I'll name this one Howard." Chloe's eyes narrowed as she pulled out of the parking space.

"What?" She shook her head before Max could answer. "Nevermind. And the other one?"

"It doesn't have a name. It's mysterious," Max said.

_You will be a spy. Names are just baggage._

"Fair enough," Chloe chuckled. "Anyway, my point is now that you've become attached to them, don't let them fly out."

"Huh?" Max asked, turning to Chloe. The window was halfway rolled down with her finger on the button. She held the balloon near the window with her other hand.

"You're such a smartass. I'll remember this if you ever say you want a dog," Chloe laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Max put the window back up and relaxed in her seat. "So...I know we already said it this morning, but Happy Valentine's Day! Again!" Chloe reached to her side and gave an affectionate squeeze to Max's leg. "It's cool to not just be sadly eating candy and watching Titanic this year."

"Is that a thing you did?" Chloe asked, perking her eyebrow. Max felt her cheeks grown warm and she cleared her throat.

_Yes._

"No, just a weird example that isn't at all based in real life," she said. "The point is, I'm excited to have someone to celebrate with!"

"Me too," Chloe said, "I got you some yummy chocolate."

"You spoil me." Max gently dribbled the balloon against the ceiling. "Hey, uh, you're really amazing."

"Oh yeah?" Chloe peered through the rear-view, then briefly glanced at Max. "I'm glad you think so. I try kind of hard. It's really exhausting."

"Heh, it's like a different kind of cardio," Max said.

"Clever," Chloe chuckled. "I think you're pretty amazing too, by the way."

"Aw," Max squeezed the balloon to her chest in a soft hug, "I'm glad we're compatible."

* * *

"I just don't see what that accomplishes," Max said, gesturing at the TV as the possessed girl dragged the box cutter through her tongue with a sinister look in her eyes. "It's kind of like, have you ever noticed how many ghosts in movies kill people and make it look like suicide? You're a ghost! Have fun with it, yanno? There's no like...ghost police." She sucked in a sharp breath when the girl, heavily bleeding from her mouth, kissed another character. "Oh god. Jesus. What? Why?" Her hand returned to Chloe's head, safely nestled in her lap, and continued stroking her hair.

_That is not how you kiss. No._

"How do you know there aren't ghost police?" Chloe asked, keeping her sight on the screen.

"With ghost handcuffs and ghost pepper spray?" Max smiled to herself. "Ghost chili pepper spray." She giggled, her hand automatically adding a playful flip through blue hair. "I guess they wouldn't have a death penalty debate. You can't kill a ghost. Well, I guess you can, but it depends on the source material?" She sighed, watching the on screen carnage. "This whole concept is flawed." Chloe turned her head to look up at Max and took a gentle chomp of the girl's thumb.

"I love when you talk all sexy like that," she teased.

_Talk macabre to me._

"Hey," Max snorted, "you're the one who wanted to watch this on Valentine's Day. Is this like a...reboot or a remake?"

_Or a...rebake?_

"I'm not sure, actually. There aren't any chainsaw hands or laughing clocks." Chloe turned her attention back to the movie. "It's good so far though, I like it. Are you questioning my movie choice? ...would you rather watch Titanic?"

_Oh, here we go._

"Okay, first of all," Max said, clapping her hand over Chloe's mouth, "you're a dick. Second of all, I'm not saying I don't like it. And third, Titanic wasn't the highest grossing movie of all time for over ten years for no reason." She felt a wet spray against her hand as Chloe laughed.

"What the fuck, are you secretly some crazy Titanic fangirl?" Chloe shook her head playfully in Max's lap. "No wonder you had to come out of the closet, there's no room in there for you with a skeleton that big." She let out a proud 'ha!' "It's like the door, not big enough for both of you."

"Oh, what-the-fuuuck-ever," Max said, pulling Chloe's hair in retaliation. In response, the girl let out a seductive purr. Max rolled her eyes. "You're the definition of impossible."

"Heh, I know," Chloe said with quiet triumph, "but you're kind of the definition of possible so at least our checkbook is balanced."

_Never thought of it that way before..._

"Huh..." She grew contemplative, her eyes aimed at the screen but unfocused. "Do you think ghosts have banks? A ghost economy?"

"Uh huh," Chloe answered, "you didn't hear about the ghost panic on ghost Wall Street? The BOO stock ghost plummeted into the ghost red and AHHH skyrocketed, it's total ghost mayhem."

"Wow, that's so stressful. No wonder they're always throwing shit," Max laughed. She cringed again at a display of gore in the movie. "Gross... Speaking of, did you have ideas for foods? I figured maybe getting takeout or delivery was a safer bet since restaurants are probably crowded."

"Yeah," Chloe replied, "even the Two Whales has a reservation, but I doubt it was necessary. Some old couple that met there back in the day, they spend every Valentine's there. Isn't that cute?"

_Aww!_

"It is cute. We should mark our territory somewhere so it can be ours forever." She shifted herself as best she could without disturbing Chloe.

"The lighthouse." Chloe didn't say it with any particular gusto, but what struck Max was how immediate and casual it was. There might as well have been a 'duh' attached. She supposed if there  _was_  going to be a place that belong to them, that probably was the best answer. She smiled, gently brushing her knuckles along the girl's cheek. "And yeah," Chloe said, "I got dinner figured out. It's a surprise."

_Oh really now?_

"A surprise, huh?" Max asked. "That sounds exciting and possibly romantic."

"You know me," Chloe said, pulling Max's arms around her snugly, "I'm all kinds of romantic and shit."

* * *

Max wiped the steam off the mirror, sighing in relief from the affects of the shower. As the cold air met the heat of her skin, a relaxing sting pulsed through her muscles and she stretched her neck to the side to alleviate lingering discomfort. She'd never noticed it before, but it was clear that just the act of sitting in school on less than ideal chairs actually had an impact on her body.

_We should sue for damages._

She gave two exaggerated blinks in the mirror, then leaned in closer to analyze the reflection. Her hair really had gotten noticeably longer, clinging to the shoulders they couldn't reach just a few months ago. She touched the hoop in her nostril, pleased that none of the irrational fears involving a violent removal of said hoop had come to pass. Tilting her head, she smirked at the purple splotch just under her jaw. Her fingers pressed it gently, and the smallest, sweetest ache throbbed in her skin. She looked into her own eyes, then around them, noticing the beginning traces of dark circles. They weren't born of restless insomnia, but of late nights spent laughing with those she cared about. When combined, these changes did make her look quite different. But at the same time, she had never felt more like herself.

_Hey. You look happy._

"I smelllll cooking," Max shouted joyfully as she came down the steps. "What sort of trouble are you getting into down here?"

"Don't look in the kitchen, just come to the table!" Chloe responded. With a shrug, Max did as she was told. She stopped in her tracks once the table was visible.

"Oh...wow, Chlo," she said, the awe taking center stage in her voice.

"So, yeah, I figured," Chloe lit the last candle on the table, "we should be gross stereotypes and have a candlelit dinner." She pulled a chair out and gestured for Max to sit. She skated into the kitchen, returning quickly with two wine glasses. "Get all cozy and romantic, ya dig?"

_I dig so hard._

"I'd be lying if I said this wasn't some deep-seated desire of mine, yeah," Max giggled, running her hands over the tablecloth Chloe had broken out for the occasion. Chloe bit the wrapping from the tip of the wine bottle and spat it onto the floor. "So fancy! And you're  _cooking!_ "

"Yeah, yanno," Chloe snirked, "figured I'd really rock those socks of yours off." Her arms dropped to her sides and she cocked her head with a knowing smile. "It's...it's just grilled cheese. Don't get too excited."

"Aw, we used to subsist on only grilled cheeses when we were kids!" Max clasped her hands over her heart. "Look at you!"

"Heh, look at me," Chloe chuckled, waving a hand over herself. "I mean, I thought I'd pick something that was pretty hard to fuck up."

_And still very delicious._

"It's cute, stop doing your modest, embarrassed thing. Which..." Max furrowed her brow, "is also cute. So, hey, you do you, boo." She held her glass out and let Chloe fill it. "Wine and grilled cheese."

"Yeah, it's a great combo. I've been taking classes as a sommelier." Chloe poured a glass for herself, then disappeared into the kitchen. "The trick is, if you're drunk enough, everything pairs well with wine," she called. "Especially more wine!"

"That sounds like one of those clickbait ads. Doctors  _hate_ him..." Max laughed. She focused on one of the flames of a candle and took note of its subtle swaying. "You know, Dana had actually given me an idea for a candle situation too but it involves less eating." She thought for a moment, then quickly added, "I guess that's debatable."

"Oh, I heard all about Dana's bubble bath daydreams," Chloe said, returning to the table with two plates. "I like the way she thinks, to be honest." She set the plate down in front of Max, then took her own seat.

"Aw, Chloe," Max said, staring at her sandwich. "You're...you're so cute that it's infuriating." She held up half of it. "You cut the crust off."

_I used to whine so much about that because I didn't want curly hair..._

"Actually," Chloe smiled, but there was a hint of red in her cheeks visible in the candlelight, "I did that without even thinking about it. I was pretty much done before I even realized it. Just...I guess I remembered that's how you preferred it, so I automatically did it. Like a robot!"

"That's...really, really sweet," Max said. A sad feeling twirled around inside her.

_She cared... **so**  much. I still can't believe I left her hanging for five years._

"Sweet as it may be," Chloe replied, not noticing Max's reaction, "a lot of that bread  _was_ crust so if you need another to fill you up, let me know and I'll make one."

"Thanks, Chloe," Max said, hoping it would suffice in place of all the things she couldn't put into words. She took a bite and slowly looked around the house. Because the lights had been turned off in favor of candles, areas that escaped the the flame's illumination became blank canvases. She could imagine the color of the walls and what sorts of things she and Chloe would choose to decorate them with. Doorways holding nothing but blackness might have a small, but respectable library or a studio for photography on the other side. The options ranged from grandiose to humble, but they were options all the same. And it was nice to be given the chance to have any at all.

"You cool?" Chloe asked, wearing a slightly concerned expression. "Did I...did I actually fuck it up?"

A memory grew vibrant in Max's mind. It was of them at 'their' spot, the lighthouse, right after they returned from the past. Chloe's eyes were wide and she seemed to be struggling between elation and panic.

" _Oh shit, I could have fucked everything up way worse! Goddamn butterfly wings…"_

"No," Max said, shaking her head and smiling as if holding a secret while reaching for her glass, "no, babe. It's perfect."

* * *

"Oh, maybe?" Chloe read over the 'guide' labeling which chocolates contained which fillings. She and Max were lying side by side on the bed, propped on their elbows with the box of chocolates in front of them. "No, that one was an oval, right? I think it's molasses."

_Dang, I was wrong._

"It's good either way," Max replied, inspecting one of the flatter pieces with her finger. She took a deep breath. "So, I know we didn't really talk about it beforehand like we did with Christmas, but I did uh...get you something." Chloe laughed through her nose as she chewed.

"Okay, cool, I got you something too," she said. She pressed her hands into the mattress, then threw herself backwards onto her knees. "I didn't wrap it, though. Sorry."

"Oh, that's okay!" Max rolled onto her side and looked up at the girl. "Man, I'm glad I did figure something out. That would've been awkward."

_I would be waking up in a cold sweat thinking about it for the next sixty years._

"Eh, not really," Chloe said. She slid off the bed and wandered over to the desk. "I wouldn't have been mad or anything." She pulled one of the drawers open and removed a small stack of paper, dropping it on the desk. "Glad you didn't look in here, it was very badly hidden." Max could only see the back of her, but she seemed to be cradling something.

"I'm not as nosy as you think I am," Max protested with a snicker. There was a sarcastic, drawn out 'mhm' from Chloe and then the girl started to jerk her arms around violently. "Woah, are you okay? What's going on?"

"Yep, I'm fine!" Chloe replied, spinning around and extending her hands. She was holding a mason jar upside down, the contents inside scattered around in a flurry.

_Huh? What is it?_

Max sat up and moved closer to her, unsure of what she was looking at. After a moment, the tempest in the jar calmed down and the sparkling debris drifted to the bottom. Max leaned closer and saw what looked to be two plastic trees rooted in place. When it cleared up further, she saw two figurines that seemed feminine in nature. They weren't overly detailed, but she could at least tell one had brown hair and the other had...sharply contrasted blue hair, almost as if it had been painted on. Max gasped.

_Oh my god._

"Chloe," she said, reaching her hands out and gingerly placing them on either side of the jar, "is this...did you make your own snow globe? With us in it?"

"Yeah!" Chloe beamed at her. "It's us and then I put some little evergreen trees in too so you could tell it was here." She nodded to encourage Max to take it. "I painted my hair on with nail polish. Figured, if it fades then that's pretty true to life."

_No way, this is incredible!_

"Oh...my god?" Max brought it close to her face. "This is amazing! It's so cute!" She shook it carefully, watching in awe as the glittery bits flew around the figures.

"I always wanted to make one," Chloe said casually, "and I thought it was kind of like that first day back together."

"By the lighthouse..." Max looked at the two girls in the jar and smiled, reliving the scene in her mind. "I told you about my powers and you called me high."

_Still a fair response._

"It's the, uh, best I can do," Chloe said, looking somewhat unsure.

"What do you mean? It's great, Chlo," Max replied. Chloe shook her head.

"No, I mean, it's the best I can do to be like you." She pointed at the snow globe. "It's...kind of like a picture. Taking a moment and capturing it in time forever. I suck with cameras, but..."

"Chloe," Max said, setting the jar down and standing up to face her. She placed a palm against the girl's cheek. "You did great. You...you caught the moment. Perfectly." With a subtle lean forward, she had their lips pressed together. "I love you."

"Love you too, Max," Chloe responded, her voice breathy and carrying that rare shyness. Max smushed her face against Chloe's chest and squeezed her, then let out a deep sigh.

"Okay, I'm going to go get yours, alright?" She tried to not look as nervous as she was beginning to feel. "Just, uh, get comfy in bed and I'll be right back." Chloe arched a curious eyebrow, then nodded.

Max trotted downstairs and into the garage, the waves of nerves cresting larger as she moved. With unsteady hands, she moved her makeshift cover of David's belongings out of the way and stared at her 'present' for Chloe, trying her hardest not to second guess herself. She gave herself a small, reassuring nod.

_Am I really going to do this? Yes. Yes you are, Max._

"Hey..." Max said, peeking her head around Chloe's door. She was lying on the bed, her upper body supported by a pile of pillows. When she saw Max, her eyes went wide.

"Oh my god, are you like...really doing a sexy thing? Get comfortable on the bed?! Woooah!" Chloe sat forward with a feral excitement. Max was so taken aback, she physically recoiled and bumped her head on the door frame.

"Ow!" She gripped the door and narrowed her eyes. "Sexy thing? What are you talking about?"

"Er..." Chloe glanced to the side, then shrunk. "I thought like...I don't know, you said to get comfortable and I guess it kind of seems like you might be wearing something special? That's...that happens in movies."

_Oh what._

"Oh. No...I'm...I'm still wearing the same clothes." The awkward breeze didn't do much for her nerves. "Is that what you would have wanted? I didn't...I didn't do that."

"No, no!" Chloe waved her hands. "I mean, yes, but it's not like...it wasn't on my Amazon wishlist. I'm dumb, I swear literally whatever is going on is rad and I love it!" Max sighed in humorous defeat, then pulled the door open all the way.

"Man, if I had kno-" she began to say, but was interrupted as Chloe's eyes nearly burst from her head at what she saw.

"NO FUCKING WAY!" she screamed, scrambling forward and off the bed. She jumped just in front of Max and clutched her head excitedly. "Oh my god, oh my god!" Her reaction was more than enough to drown out the anxiety that had been building.

_Okay, she's excited. That's...that's good._

"You, um, have said for a while now that you wanted me to play for you," Max said, raising her guitar higher into the air. "I've been practicing."

"Max, oh my god, yes! Yes!" Chloe squealed, bouncing around in circles in pure ecstasy. "Hell yes! I'm so fucking excited!" She pounced at Max and took her into a passionate kiss. When it broke, she waved her arms and screamed again.

"Alright, I feel like I do need to tell you to keep your expectations...reasonable," Max giggled.

"Fuck that!" Chloe yelled, taking one step backward before leaping onto her bed. She retreated back to the pile of pillows and pointed. "Play!"

"Bossy," Max said, trying to pout but unable to hide the beautiful grin Chloe's reaction had conjured. "Okay..." She took a seat on the side of the bed and pulled the guitar into her lap. "I learned three songs to play you. Well, I already knew one of them but I've been practicing it."

"Holy shit, I get a whole set!?" Chloe leaned back and flailed her feet. "This is hella cool!"

"Alright, calm down," Max chuckled. Chloe nodded and pulled her knees to her chest, her eyes absolutely on fire as she watched Max. "The first one is the one I already knew, I told you a long time ago I'd play it for you..." She wasn't surprised nor offended that it didn't seem like Chloe could remember which one she was talking about. She fixed one of the glow in the dark picks between her fingers and took a deep breath.

It only took three notes before she heard Chloe gasp, but rather than looking at her right away, she tried to maintain focus. This was made harder by the accompanied movement on the bed, presumably from Chloe thrashing as she realized. The song still reminded her of the smell of chlorine, which was never an association she had expected to come across. But then, it reminded her of quite a few things: the morning sunlight, the sleepy view of Chloe's ceiling, unexpected dares... And that feeling of being very, very confused. She had no idea what that floating, warm sensation was that throttled through her entire body when the word 'kiss' entered the room. She did now, though.

" _I know that it is freezing, but I think we have to walk..."_

As she played the last note on Lua, she finally looked at Chloe. The blue haired girl stared back at her, her eyes glistening with emotion. She tried to speak, but her voice bubbled and broke in her throat.

"That bad, huh?" Max asked with a knowing smirk.

_I mean, I had to._

"Max," Chloe said, shaking her head. "It was so...you're so good! So pretty. And that was when we first kissed..."

"Uh huh." Max nodded. "I did tell you I'd play it for you someday." She flicked her wrist around to loosen it. "The next two might have more mistakes. Sorry."

"Okay." Chloe's voice was quiet, as if being cautious. She cleared her throat and pulled one of the pillows against her chest.

"So...this one kind of took more work to try and get it to fit my voice, it might be a little..." Max chuckled. "I have to stop hedging my bets. Okay, I'm just gonna do it."

As with the last song, it wasn't long before Chloe gave a reaction. This time, it took shape as an emotional 'Jesus' and quivering lip. She buried her face into the pillow, making sure to keep her eyes peeking out over the top to watch Max. They used to love the song when they were younger and it was one of the first examples where they felt more 'refined' in their musical taste. It was 'cool' music. But as with all things, its message and sentimental value had inflated over the years. Things were cyclical, starting off with one meaning only to reappear later carrying so much more.

" _My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me. So won't you kill me, so I die happy?"_

"I only messed up once," Max said proudly, grinning at Chloe. In response, the girl roughly rubbed her eyes with a growl.

"I didn't even notice," she said with a light laughter. "It was amazing." She gave another wipe across her eyes. "Okay, I'm not crying anymore. I fucking refuse."

"I didn't mean to make you cry," Max replied with an amused expression.

_I totally did._

"Yeah, sure," Chloe scoffed. "I should have known this would happen whenever I finally did see you play. Like it  _wouldn't_ be some sweet shit that highlights our fucking crazy lives. I whiffed on that so hard."

"You definitely did," Max shot back, straightening her posture in boastfulness. "Alright, and then this one is, uh...I know William really liked it..." Chloe glared at her and audibly swallowed. "My dad does too, I think it was one of their bonding interests. But it's...it's pretty  _us._ " She set the pick on the first string and then looked back at Chloe. "Also hard to play, I don't know if it's just me or...what but it took me a while."

She began to play and slipped within a few notes, striking the wrong chord.

_Dammit._

"Bear with me..." she said.

She started again and gracefully coerced the tune from the instrument. She glanced at Chloe and, instead of tears, she found her nodding with a smile, a look that seemed to say 'yes, totally.' Max smiled back, then focused on her playing. She might actually credit William and her father for instilling the seed that would later become love for the folk, singer-songwriter genre. Artists like Don McLean and Gordon Lightfoot weren't an uncommon presence in their households. This one, though, she felt spellbound by the first time she'd heard it since everything happened. Again, it just meant something more than when she listened to it as a child. A tale of time and its fleeting nature. Choosing how you want to spend that time. She wouldn't deny it gave her inspiration. It was certainly a relevant topic, and her new snow globe only highlighted its poignancy.

" _But there never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do, once you find them. I've looked around enough to know, you're the one I want to go through time with."_

"That one's so tricky," Max muttered as she finished. Chloe fell forward onto her hands and knees and crawled closer to her, reaching up to touch her cheek.

"You're beautiful," she said, her voice stuck in a whisper. She bared her teeth in a big smile. "God, you're so fucking beautiful. I love you." She snickered mischievously. "This basically has the same effect of the whole sexy surprise thing, you just killed two birds with one stone." She pulled herself closer and kissed Max's ear. "I don't even know what to do with you anymore, you've squeezed every reaction out of me." She kissed again and her hand trailed up Max's side.

"Wait," Max said. Chloe recoiled with a look of surprise, unsure if she'd done something wrong. "No," she laughed, stroking the back of Chloe's hand. "You're fine, I'm not saying wait because of that. It's just, um..." Suddenly, all of the nervousness from before resurfaced, bouncing around inside of her chaotically.

_Ah, shit._

"What is it?" Chloe asked, still uncertain.

"Well, at most shows, there's always an encore, right?" Max bit her lip and looked down at her guitar, patting it for comfort.

"Yeah..." Chloe's voice lilted into excitement. "But you said you learned three songs. You can, um," she blushed unapologetically, "you can play them all night, honestly." Max looked away, smiling despite her nerves.

"Dork," she mumbled. "I didn't exactly, I guess...learn this last song?" She turned back to Chloe who was attentively confused. "I kind of...made it." Chloe squinted and a long second passed before she gasped.

"Wait, you..." Chloe pointed at the guitar, "you wrote me a song?"

"I hope so," Max said with a nervous giggle. "I hope it sounds like a song."

"You. Wrote. Me. A. Song?" Chloe repeated.

"Yeah," she replied simply.

"Wow." Chloe put a hand against her chest and her eyes started darting around. "My heart's beating so fast..." Max found it unfortunate that the amazed reaction didn't cover up her anxiety as it had done earlier. She had no idea what she must have done or what face she must have made, but Chloe reached out and placed her other hand against Max's heartbeat. "You're nervous, huh?"

"I want it to be good," she said weakly, still smiling.

"It will be," Chloe assured. She moved in closer again and kissed Max on the cheek. "It'll be the best. I'll, uh..." she pointed her thumb over her shoulder, "I'll get back in the audience seat."

_Well, I'm glad you didn't say 'you don't have to' because I'm not sure I'd turn that down...sigh._

"Okay," Max said, steadying her breathing as best she could, "it's pretty cheesy. On...on purpose, okay? I'm gonna...I'm gonna start." Chloe grinned and gave her two thumbs up.

She took another deep breath and began, releasing a jaunty, whimsical tune into the air. She kept her eyes mostly on Chloe this time, having practiced this one more than all of the others combined. Perhaps as a show of encouragement, Chloe began to sway and bob her shoulders to the music.

" _It's gettin' kinda silly how much you hog up the frame_  
_You hold my lens for ransom like I have a say where I aim_  
_But the truth is I would pay so you'd never leave my sight  
__I don't care how much it costs, I promise the Price is right"_

As she finished the last line, she summoned up enough flair to wink at Chloe, who gave a shocked, open mouthed, 'I cannot believe you' smile in return. Keeping with the pace, she slid into the next verse.

" _'Cause I'm taking heavy fire from all those looks that you shoot me_  
_You think that you're a pirate captain, but I'm the one gettin' booty_  
_Guess I can't ever say I'm broke when it's your hand I'm holdin'  
__Because when I'm with you, every hour is golden"_

She was pleased to receive the appropriate reaction at the mention of booty, and just as pleased to see the underlying sparks in Chloe's eyes become more feverish with each word. She dropped the tempo a little and started the chorus, stumbling while delivering the first line.

" _But...I'm sorry that I wasted those years_  
_Time's like Houdini, it just disappears_  
_But I swear I'll spend the rest of mine_  
_Being your permanent Valentine_  
_There's a piece of me that can only be yours  
__A kiss during a week no one else remembers"_

There was a little frustration about losing her footing as she sang, but it was also something she'd been expecting to happen with the more serious lyrics. It was why she ultimately decided not to include one section just a few days ago. She hid her annoyance and smiled at Chloe, who was now clearly treading water in a desperate attempt to avoid crying again. Skillfully, she yanked the pace back into a more bouncy sound.

" _It's true that I adore all of your witty jokes and your quips_  
_But they're not even my favorite thing that you do with your lips_  
_Drives me crazy to the point where I think you're the one that's the otter  
__I'm the shark that wants a taste and there is blood in the water"_

She snorted as she finished the last line and chomped in Chloe's direction. Chloe merely sat still, her mouth restricted into a tight O shape. She finally smiled and waved a hand at her neck, causing Max to laugh. She shook the giggles off and continued.

" _I know I couldn't ask for a better partner in crime_  
_No prison cell can hold us, not even the handcuffs of time_  
_And if it's lookin' kind of cloudy, it's okay, we have an umbrella  
__On a scale of one to ten, I guess I'd say my love for you's 'hella'"_

Chloe gave a 'fuck yeah' little fist pump at that and Max nodded in agreement. She had written this verse in an attempt at making the scrapped section sound happier, which was a move she was glad to have made. She strummed the guitar and took an extra pass to simply look at Chloe, taking in all of those small features that culminated into something so beautiful. Her mind strayed on her, wandering into the busy road of memories that showed all they had gone through to get here. She couldn't believe she'd almost lost Chloe forever. But, it wouldn't have been forever...right? She wouldn't stop trying. She'd do it again and again to try and achieve this very moment. But just the thought of her being gone...

" _But I'm sorry I..."_

She stopped playing.

"Max?" Chloe sat forward.

Max stared down at the guitar in her lap, rocking it just enough so the strings would touch her fingertips one second and recede the next. She lost herself in that rhythm of being able to feel them and then...not. One moment, her skin was pulling in all of the information of touch through her nerves and the next, she had nothing. It was gone. A teardrop fell onto the guitar.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Chloe asked, brushing Max's hair out of the way to try and see her face. Max sniffled and shook her head, still not looking up. She repositioned the guitar and set her fingers hard against the strings so that they dug through her callouses. She clenched her teeth and began to strum.

" _A kiss destined to drown the Earth_  
_With all the rain that you are worth_  
_Come hell or high water from the shore_  
_I'll keep you safe and close to me_  
_Break every...goddamn reality  
__I...I won't let them take you anymore"_

She was crying honestly now, biting off some of the words angrily.

" _I j-just got you back, p-please don't leave me_  
_What kind of superhero would I be_  
_If I c-can't even save what matters most?_  
_Send me all your darkest weather_  
_I...swear we'll get through this together  
__I...I won't let you become a ghost"_

She could feel Chloe's hands on her and hear sniffling that wasn't just her own. She sobbed once, laughed, then shrugged her shoulders as she switched the pacing back to as it was before.

" _But...I'm sorry that I wasted those years_  
_Time's like Houdini, it just disappears_  
_But I swear I'll spend the rest of mine_  
_Being your permanent Valentine_  
_There's a piece of me that can only be yours  
__A kiss during a week no one else remembers"_

As soon as she'd finished pronouncing the last word, she stopped playing and pushed the guitar onto the floor, twisting herself sideways and dragging Chloe into the sheets. Their teeth crashed clumsily as Max's hands tore through Chloe's hair, gripping it and pulling in desperation. The taste of salt hit her tongue and she felt Chloe's hands at her sides, clawing into the fabric of her clothing. She threw herself upright and tugged off her shirt, then fell right back onto Chloe.

"Max," Chloe said, breathless between kisses, "I love you." Max quickly snapped at her throat, grazing her teeth across the goose bumped skin. She sat back up and rolled off of her.

"I love you too," she said, equally out of breath. She grabbed the collar of Chloe's shirt and yanked on it. "I love you."

* * *

"Wow." Chloe stared at the ceiling, her chest heaving as she calmed down.

"Wow," Max agreed, fitting herself against the girl comfortably. "That ended up being way more intense than I anticipated." She let out a breathy laugh as she traced her finger along Chloe's stomach. "I wasn't going to do that one part and...I wasn't supposed to start crying."

_0 for 2._

"Double fail," Chloe quietly teased. "That was amazing, Max." Max propped her chin on Chloe's chest and looked at her.

"Which...part?" she asked.

"Well, all of it," Chloe chuckled. "But...the song. I can't believe you wrote that for me. You're actually a rockstar."

"You liked it, then?" Max pursed her lips together as if she didn't know the answer.

"I loved it more than I can possibly say," Chloe said, wrapping her arms around her. "It was perfect." She thought for a moment. "What's it called?"

_Huh?_

"What?" Max asked.

"My song. What's the title?" She smiled when Max's eyes grew bigger.

"I didn't...give it one," she admitted. "You can name it. It's yours, after all."

"Oooh, that's exciting!" Chloe 'hmm'd' as her eyes wandered slowly around the room. "Okay, do you remember when we used to rent VHS tapes?"

"Uh...yeah?" Max's brow crinkled. "They're all closed now."

_RIP Blockbuster._

"Well...yeah, but remember how you used to have to rewind the tapes before you took them back?" Chloe held out her hand. "They'd say 'be kind, rewind' on them. I...I like that." Max smiled and dragged herself up to kiss Chloe's cheek.

"Be Kind, Rewind," she mused. "I like that too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finally all of those 'hey, remember Max plays guitar?' references pay off!
> 
> FIFTY CHAPTERS! That's insane, right? It feels insane. I'm pretty pleased that V-Day landed perfectly on 50, seems fitting. The whole 'Max plays Chloe a song for Valentine's Day' thing is one of those ideas I've had since waaaay back at the very beginning, so it's cool to mark another one of those off the list. Slowly, but surely, we're making our way through it. To be honest, I have no idea how the inclusion of an 'original' song even reads in a story like this. I tried to chop it up with reactions so that it wasn't just a wall of lyrics and a 'neat' reaction at the end of it, but I wouldn't be totally surprised if it fell flat. I can actually HEAR how it's "supposed" to sound at this point, but who knows.
> 
> The three songs Max plays before Be Kind, Rewind are Lua by Bright Eyes, Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional and Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce!
> 
> Also! Before the Storm Ep. 1 came out! Have you guys checked it out? I was pretty apprehensive going into it, but I adored it! Very, very happy to love it as much as I do and I can't wait for the next episode.
> 
> Anywho, I think that's about all I have for you. I'm amazed that we're at fifty chapters and I wanted to say (as always, again,) thank you so much for sticking around for them. Hope you guys enjoyed it and I'll swing back around soon with 51!


	51. I Can Almost See You

As Chloe tipped the bottle to her lips, her eyes crept across the room. She had to wonder if Joyce's 'no parties' comment was simply an obligatory parental joke or something meant with sincerity. Either way, she wasn't too worried about having to explain herself. It wasn't like she was throwing a rager that would end up with puddles of puke and holes in the walls. At least...it shouldn't.

_Wonder what kind of parties Mom used to hang out at. Dad used to have a leather jacket, so probably pretty hardcore. Pfft. I bet this one's cooler._

"Oh, okay dude," Chloe said with a little giggle, swishing her beer in the direction of the TV, "I fucking told you Papa John's had the hookup for the low." She arched her eyebrows and looked at Warren expectantly.

"I didn't...not believe you," he chuckled from beside her on the couch, cramming his hands against his face. "I was just saying if we were also getting wings, we had better options for price and everything." He jostled her with his shoulder. "Stop looking at me like that!"

_Shit man, since we're all throwing in, we can get decadent as fuck. Tanks of lobsters! Tanks **driven** by lobsters!_

"Look how yummy it looks on there," Max said dreamily, safely snuggled within Chloe's arm on the other side of the couch, "I want to be a food photographer. Like how they make McDonald's look amazing?"

"Yeah, seriously," Warren said, "how do they do that? Photoshop? The real food always looks like someone just stomped on the commercial version."

"I think that's just called Instagram, Max," Chloe snickered. She nodded to Dana as the girl exited the kitchen, each hand holding a bottle by its neck. "You'd probably know, Miss Model."

_In some ways, she weirdly reminds me of Rachel. I wonder if they were friends?_

"She's hitting on me again," Dana snarked at Max, plopping down on the floor next to Trevor. She looked up in thought as she handed him a beer. "Come to think of it, I think most of  _my_ posts are food. ...what the hell?"

"Called it!" Chloe held her hand out as if accepting Dana's words. She peered through the glass of the backdoor and smirked. "Yo, look at Justin," she said in a playful hush, "Taylor's been laughing for like a minute straight."

"Is there..." Max began to speak, then made it a point to aim her question at Dana specifically, "is there a limit on how many people in one social circle should become involved?"

"If there is, we crossed that line a long time ago," Dana laughed.

"Justin pre-gamed, so he's pretty blazed. She's probably just laughing at him being an idiot," Trevor added with his own dose of laughter.

_Of course he is, buuuut at least they're not doing it here. We JUST got the brownie stench out. So many spray cans and candles..._

"Besides," Dana continued, looking at Max, "you're the one smushing us all into one clusterfuck." She smiled at Warren. "Like, we've never hung out with you before! I get to see what all the Warren fuss is about."

"I, uh, don't think there's a fuss," he responded quietly, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.

"There's  _so_ _much_  fuss," Max egged on, nestling herself deeper into Chloe's side. "You don't even know."

"Thought so," Dana said, pleased with herself. "Where's Brooke? You two are together, right?"

_Oh, you mean Ms. Buzzkill USA?_

"She has a lot of homework," he explained, then held up his hands in preemptive protest, "like, actually. It wasn't just an excuse or anything."

_Yeah, whatever. We're cooler than homework. Er...obviously. That'd be sad if we weren't._

"Oh, yo," Trevor lazily gestured in Warren's direction, "you game, right? We should get down on some Mario Kart or something."

"Yeah, sure," he replied, looking down into his lap. "That'd be cool."

_Hell yeah, Warren. Make those dude friends!_

Chloe felt a vibration against her thigh and brought her arm over Max's head, accidentally bonking her in the process, and dug down into her pocket to retrieve her phone.

**Victoria:** ARE YOU THERE WEVE BEEN KNOCKING FOR LIKE 5 MINS

**Victoria:** omg

**Victoria:** OMG

She glanced around wildly, almost expecting to find Victoria glaring at her in disapproval. With a chuckle, she stood up from the couch and gave Max a nod, answering the question she hadn't yet asked. She trotted to the front door and pulled it open.

"It wasn't locked?" she said with a confused smile. Victoria pointed her thumb at Kate, directing the blame for their persistent manners. Chloe's smile grew wide and mischievous when she looked down at the girl standing between Kate and Victoria. "There's the little rebel," she said playfully.

"Um, hi Chloe," Abigail responded, struggling to position herself in a way that seemed less...frightened. "Thank you for inviting me."

_Yep, that's definitely a 'first party' face if ever I've seen one._

"Hey, no problem." Chloe waved a dismissive hand. "It was your sister's idea to get you out of the house. Have some fun in a safe environment!"

_...somewhat...safe environment?_

"Plus since Max and Chloe are your idols now," Kate teased, nudging her sister.

"Hey, she's got good taste!" Chloe stuck out her chest with pride, then puffed out her cheeks grumpily. "Don't roll your fuckin' eyes, Victoria."

"I didn't roll anything, you narcissist," Victoria said, smiling back with endearing fierceness, "not everything's about you!" She whacked Chloe's arm softly. "By the way, Courtney said she'd be here in about an hour."

_I'm way too awesome to be a narcissist, Vic._

"Okay," Chloe chuckled, turning back into the house, "but if we eat all the food before she gets here, I'll hear none of her complaints!" She pushed the door shut and nodded to the living room. "Sit wherever, grab a chair from the dining room, I don't care." As the three girls started walking down the hall, Kate gave Chloe a knowing look. Receiving the message, Chloe caught the back Abigail's sleeve. "Hey, c'mere," she whispered, shuffling backward to the staircase.

_Right. Talk time._

"Did...did I do something?" Abigail asked, eyes wide with nervousness. She turned her head when the boisterous noise of welcome for Kate and Victoria came down the hall.

"No, no," Chloe laughed. She realized she was bent over in an attempt to match Abigail's height and stood up straight so as to not seem condescending. "You didn't do anything, but I wanna lay down some rules for you, okay?"

"Y-yeah, sure." She nodded.

"Okay, so," Chloe held up an index finger, "rule numero uno is no drinking and no going out back." She glanced to the side and wobbled her shoulders. "Er, how old are you?"

"Um, fourteen," she said.

_That's a bit of a gray area. Then again, I'm morally colorblind, so..._

"That's what I thought. Look," Chloe motioned in the direction of the living room, "if you're really itching to have some wine or something, I don't mind, but you'll have to go through your sister." Abigail shook her head feverishly at the suggestion. "Good, I was banking on that answer. Aaaand no backyard because people are smoking cigarettes. Which are gross. Riiiight?" She angled her ear at Abigail in a way that seemed to desire a response.

"Right," she agreed. Each hand was stuffed in the opposite sleeve of her sweater, anxiously twisting them around her wrists. With a warm smile, Chloe slowly pulled her hands apart, keeping them within her own once they were untangled.

"Have you ever been to a party before?" she asked.

"Birthday parties," Abigail responded. "Not like, high school parties. Drinking parties."

_This is so cute._

"You freakin'?" Chloe's smile grew bigger, baring her teeth as she sat down on the steps.

"N-no, no. I'm not freaking." Something tightened in her jaw as she pulled one hand out of Chloe's grasp and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "...I am. A lot. I don't think I should be here."

"You  _definitely_ shouldn't," Chloe agreed with a grin. "Buuuut you are, so I mean..." She winced when she heard Justin shout 'fuck yeah, bro!' "If you  _want_ to leave, that's okay. But look at it this way, would Kate be here if she didn't think it was an alright time?" Abigail thought it over.

"No, I guess not," she said. "I'm really surprised... Kate's kind of a prude." Chloe let out a loud 'ha!'

_Get rekt, Kate. Damn._

"Abby!" Max appeared from around the banister, a look of feigned insult on her face. "Why haven't you said hi!?"

"Oh, uh, Chloe just-" Abigail began.

"I'm just making sure she's okay," Chloe snickered, reaching through a slot in the railing to swat at Max's leg.

"Oooh, I getcha," Max said. She glanced behind her, then back at the girl. "These people are cool. We wouldn't hang out with them if they weren't, you know?"

"You hang out with Victoria," she said with a single snort of laughter. Chloe swished a hand through the air in a failed attempt at justification and looked at Max.

_Got you beat._

"Victoria is fine," Max said, shaking her head at Chloe. "Despite whatever differences you two have in opinions of Lady Gaga." Abigail burst into laughter.

"Wait, did she take me seriously when I said I thought she was the devil?!" She giggled into her hands, proud of her accomplishment. It abruptly changed to a frown. "Wait, that's..." she sighed, "it was easy to believe because that's the sort of thing you expect from the Marsh family." Max rocked her head back and forth in a 'yeah, kinda' gesture. "Oh...man. People think we're freaks."

"Don't worry about that right now," Max assured. "Come on," she took Abigail by the hand, "you're going to have fun and I'll hang with you all night." Chloe added a thumbs up as she hoisted herself to her feet. "Do you want to get something to drink first?"

"Um, a soda?" Abigail responded, walking with Max into the kitchen. Chloe followed after them and was pleased to see Warren pouring himself some wine. She took two giant steps behind him and looped her arm around his neck.

"Abby, this is Warren," she said. Abigail waved shyly. "He's me and Max's baby."

"Uh...what?" Abigail asked.

"He's our..." she trailed off and looked Warren over analytically while he simply stared back in confusion. She licked her thumb and rubbed at the corner of his mouth.

"Alright!" he said, throwing his hands up and sliding under Chloe's arm. "Alright. You are getting so carried away with that bit." He pointed at Chloe. "No," he scolded. At her dramatic look of insult, he rolled his eyes and turned to Abigail. "Hi, Abby. You're Kate's little sis?"

"Yes," she replied shortly, taking the can of soda from Max.

"Very cool," he said. He brought the cup of wine to his lips, missing his mouth and spilling some on his shirt. "Less cool," he scoffed.

_Been there, dude._

"See, Abby?" Max asked. "He's an awkward little thing too. You're among friends."

"I..." he sighed in defeat and held his arms out, "if it makes you feel better, yes."

"Okay," Abigail laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, "it does make me feel better."

Soda in hand, Max led Abigail out of the kitchen and into the living room. Chloe swung around the corner and made a 'psssst' noise that was loud enough to draw everyone's attention.

"Hey guys," she said, gesturing to the girl, "this is Abby. She's Kate's sister!" There was an incoherent but enthusiastic group greeting in response. "Okay so," she went down the line, pointing at each person, "Taylor, you know Vic, that one's your sister, Dana, Trevor and Justin." She flailed behind her. "Already met Warren. And you know the cute one." She tipped her head at Max, who was busy dragging a chair further into the room so she and Abigail could be next to each other. "We might have two or three more joining us later."

_God, that was exhausting. We need less friends._

"Hi..." Abigail said, eyes wide as she held her hand up in a half-completed wave.

"Oh!" Chloe placed her hand on the top of Abigail's head. "Don't give her any booze or cigarettes. She's like a gremlin."

"That movie rocks," Justin said, bobbing his head in agreement.

"How old are you, Abby?" Dana asked, offering her most comforting smile. "Oh, and I don't know if Chloe told you but if you're hungry, there should be food here any minute."

"Fourteen," she responded, taking a seat next to Max, "and thanks, I am pretty hungry."

* * *

"Nothing really happened," Juliet said, popping the last bit of pizza crust into her mouth, "but I had an alright time. The movie was good."

_I'm glad Jul came, she seems kind of spotty with her hangout skills._

"Wait," Taylor shook her head in disbelief, "you went on a date with someone named Romeo...on Valentine's Day?" She furrowed her brow. "I don't think that's like...okay. There's a glitch in the Matrix or something."

"I know," she said seriously. "Even if it did turn into something more, I think I'd be too embarrassed to tell people. One of us would have to change our name." She picked at the edge of her paper plate. "I mean, probably him."

"That's funny," Abigail said quietly, grinning as she listened to the recap of everyone's Valentine's Day. She turned red when she noticed Trevor looking directly at her.

"What about you, Little Kate? Break any hearts?" he asked as he leaned into Dana.

_Is that just a cute nickname to try and make her feel included or did you forget her name already?_

"Oh," Kate laughed gently, "she's too young f-"

"I had a Valentine!" Abigail protested, crossing her arms defiantly. Kate swiveled quickly in her direction.

"Wait, not the guy who makes noises when he eats?" Max muffled as she chewed.

"What? What guy!?" Kate directed her attention to Max.

"No, not him," Abigail assured. "It's another boy."

"That's good," Chloe laughed, "don't need anymore love triangle drama between you and...uh, what was it? Cassie?"

"Love triangle!?" Kate held a hand to her chest with a horrified expression. "Cassie!?"

"No, actually Cassie ended up with the first guy. The one with the eating!" Abigail flicked her hand casually. "Once she knew I wasn't interested, she made her move. I gave her my blessing."

"Sneaky," Max said, shaking her head with a smile. "Well, I'm glad everything ended up okay. Did you go on a date with the new guy?"

"I cannot believe my ears," Kate droned. Abigail's mouth twitched and she leaned forward.

"Are you jealous I had a Valentine and you didn't?" she asked smugly. The room immediately fell quiet, the only noise coming from Justin awkwardly clearing his throat.

_Ouch._

"I, uh..." Kate glanced at Victoria, then looked down as she nervously pat her lap. "Yes, that's exactly what it is."

"I'm sorry," Abigail said, her face red as she shrank at the silence. "That was mean. I-I got carried away."

_Sibling sass. Pas bien._

To the relief of everyone within a ten mile radius, there was a knock at the door.

"Food!" Dana proclaimed with forced exuberance. She jumped to her feet and turned to Chloe. "Where's the money?"

"I...think it's on the floor by the door," Chloe said, eyes angled upward as she thought. "No change, let 'em have a good tip." Dana clicked from the side of her mouth and shot a finger gun at Chloe before disappearing into the kitchen.

"So," Max looked at Taylor, "did you see that new lava video on Yo-"

"Um, Abby?" Kate interrupted. She wasn't looking at her, but rather straight ahead with something steely in her features. "Can I talk to you? I want to tell you something." Victoria's eyes bulged and she mechanically pivoted toward Kate. Abigail grew more uncomfortable when she noticed everyone else in the room was looking in any random direction that wasn't at her.

_Uh...Kate?_

"Um, yeah," she said. Kate smiled, but it was pulled taut into a straight line and she stood up from her chair. "I'm...I'm sorry," she repeated from earlier.

"It's okay," Kate said calmly, then turned to Max and Chloe. "Do you two mind coming with us?" she asked. They exchanged a brief look.

_Here we go again._

"Yeah, of course," Chloe said, "we can talk in my room." Victoria grabbed hold of Kate's wrist and shook her head fearfully.

"No, you stay," Kate said, though it was posed as a gentle request rather than a command. Abigail's eyes narrowed as she tried to decipher what was happening.

"Come on," Max encouraged, placing her hand on Abigail's shoulder as she stood up. She motioned in the direction of the stairs and they set off. Chloe hung back for a moment.

"Jesus Christ, guys," she snickered wildly as she too reached her feet, glancing around the room with her hands on her hips. "Constructive criticism for next time: don't go so fucking quiet that it sounds like a funeral. She's probably terrified."

_Seriously, she probably thinks she's walking to her death._

" _I'm_ terrified," Victoria hissed, doubled over in her seat. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Taylor, shove pizza in her mouth," she commanded.

"Aye, aye," Taylor replied with a salute.

Chloe hurried up the steps to meet the others, flinging herself between Kate and Max to grab the doorknob. She threw the door open in grandiose fashion.

"Sooo, this is my room," she said in a singsong voice, taking a broad step in. She turned back around to Kate and cringed. "Please don't mind the, uh, underwear and cigs and...and weed and..." She placed her hands on her waist and blew out a gust of breath. "I am seriously a dumpster."

_Is that a fucking bottle of lube on the desk? Oh my fucking god._

"It's nice," Kate giggled, patting Chloe on the arm. She gestured for Max to close the door and turned to Abigail. "Abby..."

"This is really weird," she said, glancing around her in a crazed manner. "What's going on?"

"Calm down," Kate hushed, taking her sister by the hands. She led her over to the bed and sat down. "I just want to have a very honest talk with you, okay?"

"I...I guess?" Abigail looked to Max and Chloe, finding little comfort in how unsure they seemed to be.

_Alright, hang on._

"Okay, wait," Chloe said, waving her hands. "Just...just to be clear, you're going to tell her?" Kate nodded and Chloe took a step forward. "Tell her," she stressed, "the...thing?"

"Tell me what?" Abigail was bunching up the ends of her sleeves in her palms.

"You know Victoria," Kate said, not bothering to phrase it as a question. Abigail nodded. "See, um," she thought it over and sighed, "the thing is, there was another reason why Mom's freakout upset me so much." Instinctively, Abigail glanced at Max and Chloe, the corner of her mouth twitching with discomfort. "Because...because, not only was she disrespecting my best friends and also disrespecting my...uh, situation, but because I knew for sure that she might no longer accept me for who I am."

"Who you...are?" Abigail asked. "What does this have to do with Victo-" There was a glimmer of recognition in her eyes and she started mouthing words to herself, her face contorting in thought.

"I did have a Valentine," Kate said, dragging each word out with purpose.

"You...did..." Abigail's eyes spiraled around her head in an attempt to connect dots. "I don't think I understand..."

"I...I kind of think you do," Kate replied with a small smile. "Victoria and I are dating."

_I've seen this movie before._

"Why?" Abigail asked, scuttling away from Kate. "You're  _dating?_ Like how Max and Chloe are  _dating?_ " There was a visible sting of pain in Kate's expression as her sister moved away.

_Ah fuck. Not the movie I thought it was._

"Yes, like they're dating," Kate said, her tone resolute and slightly barbed as she gestured to the two girls. "I wanted to tell you because..."

"Why...why  _her?_ " she asked, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Abby," Kate reached out for her, her shoulders slacking in relief when Abigail didn't pull away, "I know it's hard to understand with the things we've been taught growing up but..."

"No," Abigail shook her head, "I mean why  _her?_ Specifically? She seems so...not like you. She seems mean!" Now Kate was the one who recoiled, cocking her head curiously.

"Waaaait," Max elongated the word, "are you...being protective of her?" She glanced at Chloe, flashing an amused look.

_Nevermind, haven't seen this one yet._

"Well, yeah, I mean..." A look of horror registered on Abigail's face when she noticed Kate crying. "I'm sorry! What did I do?"

"I was so worried," Kate said, brushing her knuckle below her eye. "I didn't know how you'd react."

"Kate..." Abigail stared down at her lap, clutching at her pants, "you said...you said wanted to  _kill yourself_..." She sniffled, then shrugged and looked away. "I mean, unlike Mom, I just want you to be happy." Kate showed a brief look of regret, then nodded in understanding. "It's kind of shitty to hear that about your own sister, you know?"

_Oh damn, Abby bustin' out the swear words._

"I'm sorry." Kate scooted closer to her sister and wrapped both arms around her. "I know. I wish you didn't hear that."

"Have you ever wondered why I think they're so cool?" Abigail gestured to Max and Chloe. "You said they helped save you."

_Oh woah, that's heavy. Hey, wait..._

"But...we're also just cool in a normal way, right?" Chloe asked, pointing at her with both hands.

"Yes," she chuckled. She sighed reached around Kate's arm to take her glasses off. "Victoria helped too?"

"Very much," Kate confirmed. "I really like her, Abby." The girl narrowed her eyes at Max and Chloe, seeking their input.

"She's cool," Max assured.

"They're disgustingly cute," Chloe added. "Seriously, it's fucking awful." She crossed her arms and looked away as if disinterested. "I hate it a lot."

"Fine." Abigail leaned into Kate's embrace. "But if she hurts you..."

"Don't even worry," Chloe said, growing a wolfish smile as she punched her palm, "I will beat her up."

"Oh, stop," Kate snickered. There was a secret nod exchanged between Abigail and Chloe.

_I gotchoo, girl. We'll wage war._

"Thanks for, uh, telling me," Abigail said. "After Mom and everything..."

"I wanted you to know. But you  _are_  the only one so far. Dad doesn't know either." She broke the hug and let go of a tense breath. "But I trust you."

"Dad's been trying really hard," Abigail mused. "He's even asked me if anyone at my school is gay and what I thought about it." She laughed. "It's kind of awkward, like he's trying to be hip?"

"Dad Marsh is cool," Chloe said. "He bought us dinner." She wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders. "On the topic of Victoria, you should remember that the girl smashed her fucking hand to literal pieces for your sister."

"Oh jeez, yeah," Abigail said. She giggled again. "You know...this doesn't really help Mom's whole 'you can catch gay' thing. You're kinda proving her right."

"Yep, we're like the flu," Max laughed. "One minute you've got a fever and the next you're barfing rainbows."

_Huh. Would that taste like Skittles?_

"Haven't had that symptom yet." Kate smiled. She stood up from the bed, helping her sister up after her. "Thank you again. I love you, Sis."

_D'aww._

"Love you too," Abigail replied, showing a bit of embarrassment that such a moment was taking place in front of Max and Chloe. She put her glasses back on and shook her head. "High school parties are so hard." She glanced to the side in thought. "Can I...have some wine?" Kate grinned and pulled her into a hug.

"Absolutely not," she said.

* * *

"Smoke?" Justin asked, approaching Chloe as she slid open the backdoor.

"Yeah," she said. "Come with?" He nodded and pulled his hood up, the bill of his hat sticking out from underneath. She shivered as she stepped outside. "Fuuuck, it's cold." Still adjusting to the darkness, the only thing she could initially see was an orange ember swiftly turning in her direction.

_Oh, there you are._

"What the fuck just happened in there?" Victoria asked, pointing into the house with an aggravated look in her eyes.

"Kate told her," she replied casually, putting a cigarette between her lips. She patted her pocket and groaned. "Justin, give me a light."

"I got you," he said, tossing his lighter to her. She fumbled it a few times because of poor visibility and blinked hard to force an adjustment.

"But what  _happened!?_ " Victoria snarled, grabbing Chloe by the shoulder.

"Jesus, you're like a cartoon," Chloe said, peeling Victoria's hand off of her. "It's fine, dude. Calm down." She let her head roll back as she took a drag. "Abby is cool. She's not going to snitch to her parents." Then she cracked a grin. "Actually, her first thought was if you were good enough for her." Victoria's expression shifted from scared, to relieved, to incredulous.

"Good enough for her!?" She crossed her arms and glared in through the glass door. "The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

_Take a stab in the dark, Vic._

"Prolly 'cause of your reputation," Justin offered with a lazy smile. "You're like, kind of aggro."

"Excuse me, who asked you?" Victoria growled. Chloe shot her a look like 'really?' and she sighed. "Okay. I know. I have a hard enough time believing I actually am good enough for her, even if I do really think I've changed."

"You have changed, I promise. But I don't think that feeling's going to go away," Chloe said, jauntily strolling over to the swing set. "I still don't think I'm good enough for Max and I'd bet you anything she'd say the opposite. Kind of what happens when you love someone." She sat down on the swing. "Just go with the flow."

_I'm way too big for this thing, my ass is almost touching the ground._

"It's...really hard to chill when I have to worry about all of the shit attached to this," Victoria admitted. "She keeps pulling these stunts like that dinner with her dad and now telling her sister without even warning me beforehand. I'm...I'm really glad she feels comfortable enough to do those things but it's really fucking stressful."

_That's actually pretty fair._

"Have you talked to her about it?" Justin asked, giving Chloe a little push and sending her forward on the swing. She looked over her shoulder at him in amused surprise.

"No," Victoria muttered. "I haven't. I know I should."

"You need to be honest with her," Chloe added. "It's not going to work if you keep that bottled up. As fun as lying can be, you just have to take that step and be honest."

"I know," she said, "but I'm so scared that one wrong move is going to ruin everything. The whole thing is  **so** fucking weird, I don't want to break the spell."

"Well, yeah but," Justin pushed Chloe a bit harder, "what if that wrong move is not telling her?" Victoria perked an eyebrow and stared at him curiously.

"That's a...good point," she said.

"That was surprisingly well put," Chloe chuckled. "Oh, wait." She held the lighter over her shoulder for him to take. "Don't want to steal your lighter."

"I don't even think it's mine," he laughed. "But yeah, you should talk it out with Kate. Just let her know you want to be, I don't know, included in her decisions."

_Check you the fuck out._

"You're not high anymore, are you?" Chloe asked with a wide smile.

"Nah," he said, "but I do have a decent buzz going from the beer." He pushed her again, this time with both hands. "Oh, hey. Trev said something about hanging out with Warren. He's cool?"

"Yeah man," Chloe replied, straightening her legs out to get higher into the air. "He's a bit of a nerd but he's a good dude. I bet he'd even help you with some of your grades if you asked, he's really smart." She planted her feet on the ground, jerking the swing to a stop. "It's so weird that you guys are all in school still."

_Ergh, weird feels._

"Do you miss it?" Victoria asked.

"Er...no, I guess." Chloe twisted left and right in the swing. "But I regret bailing. It kind of sucks that some people just assume I'm stupid because of it. I just had a lot going on." She snickered. "I get on Max's case about it a lot."

"Max will be fine," Victoria said. "She really is talented with that camera of hers. That's partly why I used to be so jealous."

_I know she will. I have so much faith in her._

"Yeah," Justin laughed, "one time she took this pic of Trevor right after he rocked himself in the knob. It was sick."

"Ha! No way!" Chloe spun around and stared at him. "Holy fuck, I so wish I saw that." The chill of winter night glided across her neck and she shuddered. "Kay, I'm cold  _and_ I'm starving. There's food left, right?"

"Yeah dude, you got like way too much," Justin said.

"That's straight up slander," Chloe said, hopping to her feet. "You can never have enough pizza."

* * *

"Oh, what the hell?" Chloe shook the bottle around in her hand. "I thought I just got a new one. Did you drink some?"

"Nope," Max said, "I guess you're just a thirsty bitch." She gave an open mouthed smile at Chloe's reaction. "Better be careful, you're going to end up with a beer belly."

"Start wearing sweat-stained beaters all the time," Chloe replied, planting her hands on her stomach.

"I love you but no," Max said sternly.

_Wow, shut that down real quick._

"So, are you going to Blackwell next year, Abigail?" Courtney asked, having finally made it to the party a half hour earlier.

"I want to," she said, "but Kate had so much trouble convincing my parents that I'm not sure I'll be allowed."

"You should! I bet you'd be very popular." Dana's voice lilted on the word 'popular.'

"Oh, I don't think being one of the popular kids is my thing," Abigail giggled. "I'm sure they're a pain to deal with at Blackwell."

"Nah, it's not so bad," Max responded. "I mean, it was at one point but the majority of the most notorious ones are..." She stopped and looked around the room, her brows knitting together. "Wait, are  _we_ the popular kids now?"

"Well, there are the jock bros," Taylor said.

"Yeah, but," Max pointed at her, then Courtney, then Victoria. She gestured to Dana. "You guys are like, the popular people."

"Oh my god, that's really sad," Warren chuckled, covering his face.

"Yikes," Chloe laughed. "Where did you go so wrong?"

"It isn't sad!" Kate argued. "It's nice, I think everything has kind of leveled out."

"See that, Abby?" Chloe shook her hands in mock celebration. "The bar is excruciatingly low!"

As the night crept on, Chloe found herself in an increasing state of unmarred happiness. Even when she sat quietly, buried in the cushion of the couch, she felt a sense of bliss at simply listening to her friends talk. It had taken years to stop feeling like an outsider, but she was finally becoming happy to be where she was on a consistent basis. At one point, Victoria and Abigail disappeared to have what she could only assume was a talk about everything. It seemed to go well, since they both eventually returned and sat next to each other. The atmosphere slouched into a relaxing tempo as music became a focal part of the evening, allowing people to sober up in peace.

" _Before this river becomes an ocean,"_ Kate quietly sang, rocking side to side,  _"before you throw my heart back on the floor!"_

"Should've figured you'd be into a song called Faith," Chloe teased. She rested her head against the back of the couch. "What time is it?"

"Late," Dana answered, throwing her arms behind her in a stretch. "We should probably get going. We have to be up really early." She patted Max on the foot. "Right?"

"Huh?" Max frowned at her. "Why do I have to be up early?"

"Because you promised me you'd help take down the Valentine's stuff at school," Dana said, raising an eyebrow. "You're my little décor secretary."

"I have no memory of this," Max mumbled.

"Yeah, well, you were roasted so I'm not surprised," she laughed. "Do you want to come back with us so you don't have to wake her up for a ride?" She nodded in Chloe's direction.

"I don't mind," she said. "I barely have a sleep schedule anymore."

"Nah, she's right, babe." Max pulled her into a tight hug. "You're probably going to want to get some rest, especially in case you have a hangover. Let me know when you're up and then we can hang out!" She narrowed her eyes at Dana. "Apparently I'll be wide wake."

_Aw, man. Boooooo._

"Fine," she said, turning up her nose. "I guess someone doesn't want sexy times."

"Sorry, Abby," Max groaned, "and everyone else." Chloe beamed and pressed her cheek against Max's.

"You cool to drive?" she asked Dana.

"Yep, haven't had anything in a few hours." She nudged Trevor and Justin with her foot. "C'mon, boys. Train's leaving."

As to be expected, Max couldn't leave without an overly theatrical performance lamenting her separation from Chloe, but eventually she departed with Dana and the boys. This set off the chain of everyone leaving until only Kate, Victoria and Abigail remained.

"You don't need to help clean up," Chloe said with a smirk, snatching empty bottles off of the dining room table. "I got it covered if you guys are too tired."

_But it is kind of nice that they stayed._

"We don't mind," Kate said, answering for everyone. She took a trash bag from Abigail and brushed several paper plates into it. Chloe stopped and stared at the young girl.

"What in the _fuck_  does your mom think you're doing right now?" she asked. Without taking her eyes off of her, she continued to clean.

_I can't believe I didn't question this earlier._

"Sleepover with Kate," she said with a slight flair of mischief.

"Which isn't a lie!" Kate was sure to add. "I mean, not technically!"

"Nice," Chloe chuckled. She gently swung the trash bag so that it collided against Victoria's leg. "Do you condone this behavior? Your girl is turning into a misfit. Only a matter of time before she's shoplifting rosary beads."

"I'll be sure to keep an eye on her," Victoria replied, pulling a giggle out of Abigail.

"And you two are all cool now?" Chloe asked.

"They better be," Kate said in an adorably threatening tone.

_You couldn't intimidate a dumb little baby, Kate._

"Hey, so," Abigail dropped a bag by the back door, "how long has this been going on?"

"It's only been like five minutes," Chloe gestured to the trash. She laughed at Abigail's scowl and leaned against the table. "I know what you meant."

"A little over a month," Victoria answered without looking up.

"Really?" Abigail seemed to be thinking something over. "So, wait, you guys were together when you had dinner with Dad?" Kate bared her teeth in awkward confirmation.

_Oh and what a time it was._

"I've never sweat that much," Victoria snickered. She pulled the drawstrings of the trash bag taut and tied them together. "Is that the last one?"

"Uhhh," Chloe looked around her, "sure, why not? If I find anything else, I'll get it later."

"Then our work here is done!" Kate said happily, dusting her hands off in triumph. "I guess we should head back. I think Abby and I are going to have a long talk." Her sister's eyes went wide.

"What? Why? You already told me you're making out with her," she pointed at Victoria, "what else do I need to know?!"

"I just mean in a sister hangout way?" Kate grabbed the cloth of her sweater at the shoulder and tugged her in the direction of their coats.

"It's going to be like a 7th Heaven monologue," Victoria said to Chloe matter-of-factly.

"Well, you guys have fun with all of that," Chloe said, unleashing a long yawn, "I'm fucking beat so I'm going to faceplant my pillow."

After an exchange of goodbyes, Chloe stood by the door and watched as the car took off down the street. She gave one spirited wave and headed back inside, beelining to the backdoor to collect the trash. Once they were deposited in their correct bins, she lit a cigarette and stepped further out into the center of the yard.

_Man, I'm exhausted. Hosting is hard!_

She stared up at the moon, glowing fiercely in the black sky.

_When we had two moons did like...the tides get fucked up or anything?_

"Whatever," she said, shaking her head. "Shit's above my paygrade." Expending the cigarette, she tossed it into the trash and went inside, making sure to lock the door behind her. Room by room, she flicked each light off, letting out a shrill 'fuck!' when she accidentally jammed her toe into a piece of furniture. By the time she actually got to her bed, she already felt doubly tired. Flopping down on top of it, she flung her arm to the side and patted the space where Max should be.

_This sucks._

"Okay, Fake Max, you're up to bat," she bemoaned, hanging off the side of the bed and grabbing the teddy bear Max's mother had gotten her for Christmas. With an unsatisfied grunt, she tucked it under her arm and closed her eyes. "Sorry about the mean name," she said sleepily, "I should give you a real one at...some...point..."

And she fell asleep.

* * *

" _Chloe, I am awesome! WE are awesome!"_

. . .

"It's like that Chinese proverb," Chloe said, her breathing heavy and jangling in her chest, "a spark can start a fire that burns the entire prairie. You know, like that butterfly thing..."

"So I've heard," Max replied with a somber chuckle. She tossed the tissue into the trash can and took a deep breath, turned on her heel and headed over to the TV. Searching through the drawer for just a moment, she pulled out the case for Blade Runner and wiggled it for Chloe to see. The small smile in response was all she could do to show her readiness. Max slipped it into the DVD player, then returned to the chair beside Chloe. Cast in a blue light from the screen, they exchanged a look of muted excitement and then turned their attention back to the movie. The volume was low, the explosive bursts coming out more as a soothing rumble that eventually lulled them both to sleep.

. . .

"I...don't know how to say this but," Max's expression was pained as she spoke, "I am truly sorry about what happened to Chloe."

"Me too." William nodded sadly. "All it takes is a few minutes to change a girl's life. But she's alive. And she's been a trooper." His hand slid forward on the table, pushing away the paper he was just studying.

"She is amazing. I'm so glad you're here to help her and...be her father." Max took a moment to look over the bills on the table, trying her hardest to keep her face as neutral as it could be. She swallowed, regaining her composure.

"Max, I just hate to think of what would happen to Chloe if I wasn't here..." Despite William saying it without any sort of inflection, Max still flinched at his words. As if somewhere deep in his eyes, beyond conscious thought, he knew something was off.

The scene bubbled inside of an orange filter, mashing shapes together in different places, reconstructing a memory.

"Max, I just hate to think of what would happen to Chloe if I wasn't here..." William's voice said, slipping in from somewhere else.

Chloe took a fearful step back and pulled the trigger, her body growing rigid in horror as she watched Frank fall to the ground lifelessly.

The orange haze pulled everything apart and reassembled it.

"...what would happen to Chloe if I wasn't here..."

The train emitted an ear splitting screech as it threw on its brakes, sparks showering from the track as it tried to stop. Chloe yanked at her ankle desperately as she screamed for Max.

. . .

Max moved slowly into the empty room, looking around herself in stunned heartache. She searched through a cardboard box, finding several pair of shoes. They had been stored away, unneeded in Chloe's current condition. When she found the pair of crutches, she sat down and buried her face in her hands. Joyce and William had kept the hope of Chloe walking again, but after talking to Joyce, it seemed an impossibility. She quietly sobbed, pressing her palms against her eyes hard enough to hurt.

. . .

"...I want this time with you to be my last memory. Do you understand?" Chloe was crying, but her words were strong and resolute. Max heaved forward as if the air had been knocked out her, her eyes darting back to the photo in the album.

"Yes," she said as if just saying the words hurt, "I do."

"All you have to do is crank the IV up to eleven." Chloe spoke so calmly that it hardly seemed real. The words just did not match the voice. Max collapsed into herself, her lips scrunching together as she began to cry.

"Chloe..." Max shook her head pleadingly.

"I'll just drift asleep," Chloe assured with something like hope in her breath, "dreaming of us here together...forever."

Max stared at her for a moment, then stood up from her chair with a look of defeat. She took hold of the morphine dispenser and turned it up, the quiet cranking noise sounding ugly in her ear.

"Thank you so much." Chloe's voice had already lost some of its power. "I'm so proud of you for following your dreams. Don't forget about me..."

"Never," Max whispered.

An orange wave washed over the room, plucking apart the colors and stitching them back together.

"I'll always love you!" Chloe declared, rain soaking through her as she backed away from Max. "Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak!" She looked down for a moment as if steeling her nerves. "And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me..."

"Never," Max replied, heartbroken as she held the butterfly photograph.

The memory reversed, dragging Chloe back over to Max as it replayed just a snippet.

"I'll always love you!" she said.

The memory twisted back to Max sitting by Chloe's bedside, the morphine making its way through her system.

"I love you, Max." Her voice was barely there as her eyes drooped shut. "See you around..."

"Sooner than you think..." Max answered, falling to pieces as she watched Chloe drift to unending sleep.

. . .

"She's never leaving me!" Chloe proclaimed.

"That makes all of us," William responded as he opened the door. Chloe perked an eyebrow curiously, waited for him to leave, and walked over to Max. She was bouncing up and down enthusiastically.

"Max, you are being so fucking strange. You feel okay?" she asked.

"Chloe, I am awesome! WE are..."

The words fizzled out as the memory shifted.

"Chloe, I'm so, so sorry. I tried to make things different for you... I...I did try. I'm sorry." Max was crying, her eyes begging for forgiveness.

"I don't know exactly what you're talking about, but come on!" Chloe grabbed her by the hands. "You have made things different, like my whole life. You're my best friend. I've got you and a great family. What's to be sorry for? We'll be best friends forever! And when we grow up, we're taking over the world." With each word, Max grew more upset.

"Listen, whatever happens, I want you to be strong." Max tightened her grip on Chloe's hands. "Even if you feel like I wasn't there for you... because I will never abandon you, Chloe. I'll always have your back. Always."

* * *

Chloe shrieked as she lurched upright. It wasn't rooted in fear, but of raw anguish escaping a place she thought had been buried deep enough to never be found. She clutched her head and sobbed, the inside of her skull coated in a thick, hazy vibration. It was painful. She was unable to think, as if her mind were just too bright, blinding and preventing her from following a train of thought. When the feeling subsided, the first thought she found was one of William. She wailed again, choking as she cried and tore at her hair.

"Dad!" she croaked, digging her nails into her eyelids.

_He was there! He was_ _**right fucking there!** _

"Fuck! Fuck!" she screamed in a ragged voice, lunging forward and grabbing a handful of her blankets. She brought a fist down forcefully against them. "Come back! Please!" The vibration pulsed again in her head and she winced, swaying to the left as she became dizzy. A chill dragged itself across her skin.

_Argh, what the FUCK IS THAT!?_

"...Max?" she asked, her eyes clamped shut as she pressed against her temple. At the lack of response, she ground her teeth together, tears hastening their way down her cheeks. She replayed the image of her father opening the door to greet an eighteen year old Max. The pain sparked through her once again.

_Gonna be sick..._

She woozily crawled to the edge of the bed, hanging over and planting a hand on the floor before working herself to her feet. Stumbling for the door, she kept one eye screwed shut to try and lessen the pressure in her head.

_It hurts..._

"Dad?" she said again, this time in the form of a question. Aching at the quiet that answered back, she couldn't help but feel the almost forgotten burn of both her father and Max's disappearance.

She made her way into the bathroom, smashing her hand against the light switch and, with no room for gracefulness, crashed onto her knees in front of the toilet. The lid banged against the back as she forcefully flipped it open, the sound amplified threefold in her dazed ears. She stared at the water, the vague, barely there image of herself looking back up at her. Her breathing was hectic and uneven as she waited for the uneasy feeling in her stomach to force its way up through her. Ripples expanded in the water as a few tears fell into it.

The memory of her final breaths as the overdose took her shook inside of her head. She heaved as the vibration, almost like a pulse of electricity, burst in her brain once again. Still, nothing came up. She shut her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. There was the sound of another quiet splash from the toilet, but something about it sounded different. Heavier. Her eyes fluttered open slowly.

Something horrible pulled at her insides as she watched a red cloud spread out in the water, dark nearest the center where it was thickest. Shaking, she brought a finger below her nose gasped.

_What? What...is this?_

Another droplet fell. Chloe watched it numbly, entranced at the way the blood spun out into entirely unique shapes. Her breathing spiked again, audible gusts of air escaping only one nostril at an increasingly rapid pace.

"No, no, no, no," she whispered to herself, frightened at the sight. A blaze of anger swelled within her and she screamed, an enraged, frayed sound that pierced through every wall in the house. Her fingers began to ache and she realized she'd been repeatedly slamming her hand against the floor in a desperate manner. Shakily, she pushed herself to her feet and turned to the mirror, seething at the ghostly girl staring back at her.

"You..." she muttered, though it was laced with venom, "who  **are** you?"

Everything within her, the contradictory emotions that melded into an ambiguous shape of confusion, coiled itself hotly around her lungs until there was no more space for it to contract. It exploded out of her in another, agonized scream and she lunged at the mirror, knocking everything off of the shelf below it. She gazed hard into her own eyes.

_I don't understand. I...I don't fucking understand!_

"Fuck," she spat, letting her forehead rest against the mirror as she trembled with tears. "Dad... Dad..." Her breath lapped at her reflection, partially burying it behind a layer of fog. After what seemed an eternity, she peeled herself off of the mirror and stood up straight. Her limbs hung from her limply as she focused on the now brownish stain on her lips. She moved to the sink and turned it on, jerking the towel from the shower rod. The cool water on her face almost stung.

But what hurt more was that she already knew she couldn't even begin to fake it to herself. She knew this wouldn't be a matter of shaking it off and locking it away as she had done for months regarding many things. She had never told Max with complete honesty how badly the dream of her killing Frank had fucked with her head. Or how she still constantly worried that Max would have a nosebleed. How meeting Sean Prescott bothered in a deeply dark way. She...had to be the strong one.

Even now, it was taking an extraordinary amount of effort to not crumple back to the floor in a puddle of tears.

"Me?" she whispered, once again looking into the mirror. She collected a bundle of her hair and pulled it straight, taking note of its length. It was jarring to see herself with short, uncolored hair after all this time. She could almost see it now looking back at her. She brought two fingers to her throat and lightly pressed, feeling it undulate as she swallowed.

_I had a tube in my neck. I couldn't even move my fucking head._

She felt like a stranger in her own body, disconnected from the tiny movements she made in the mirror. Her thoughts catapulted back to her father and she recoiled away from herself, unable to bear the sight.

_He was talking. He talked..._

Shambling back out of the bathroom and into her room, she looked through the window. It was still dark, the moon hanging behind a small smattering of clouds. She grabbed her phone and hesitated, her lips tightening to the side as she watched it jitter with her shaky hands.

_What do I do? What am I supposed to do?_

Finally, she worked up the nerve to find her chat with Max and slowly typed.

**Chloe:** dream.

It was all she could bring herself to say. She stood there for a moment, untangling the web of thoughts expanding in her brain. With a small nod to herself, she scooped her keys off the desk and put on her jacket, marching down the steps as a crater formed in her heart.

* * *

The sun had not yet crept its way over the horizon and, truthfully, she didn't know if the cemetery had some sort of business hours she might be disregarding. She didn't really care. She stepped through the rows of tombstones, unflinching as she navigated by the dark shapes protruding from the earth. She was acutely aware of how similar her current state was to the night she dreamt of the Dark Room. She'd argue she was far more lucid now, but even she'd admit she wasn't sure she could trust that judgment. Occasionally, she placed a hand on her stomach in an attempt to soothe the restless concoction of beer and junk food jostling around inside.

_Too dark. I can't find him._

"Where are you?" she whispered, flicking on the flashlight of her phone. She stumbled to the side to avoid stepping on someone's grave. "Sorry," she said, turning and aiming the light down a path between the gravestones. Plodding forward, she swept her phone left and right until a sense of familiarity struck her. Her feet dragged her in a new direction, automatic and working without her input. As she walked, she read some of the tombstones.

_Roberts. Jacobs. O'Neil. I wonder how you all died. I...wonder if there are more of you still alive somewhere. In another place._

She came to a stop and found herself face to face with the weathered plating bearing her father's name. She remained still, reading it over and over again. Reading the year of his death. The numbers almost seemed to blur. With a single sniffle, she sucked on her teeth, giving her own emotions a passive-aggressive warning to stand down.

"Hey," she said, her voice hollow and lost, "long time no see, huh?" She looked around her at the dimly lit graveyard, finally seeing the beginnings of sunrise, and nodded to herself. "Kind of fucked up that you're here and not...I don't know. Home." A ripple of sadness flowed through her. "I just now realized that fantasy I've always had of you magically coming back is really complicated now. You'd need to find a job and, I mean, the economy is fucked. Plus David would...would need to leave, I guess? That doesn't seem fair. I..." she slipped a hand under her beanie and scratched at her scalp, "I guess people fucking moved on." She let go of a single, sad chuckle. "Kind of feels like when I found out Santa wasn't real."

_Don't cry. Don't cry._

"I don't know what to do with all the shit in my head anymore, Dad." Chloe held her hand out, tensed like a claw. "I...I  _just_  saw you. You were alive. You said things I've never heard you say. You...you fucking looked older! Stressed out. You had more wrinkles. You...you weren't..." she gulped and felt a tear slide down her cheek, "you weren't  _my_ dad, though." She sighed out some of her pain. "When you die, your body stops. It rots. It turns into fucking...worm food. But you died and somehow you got older?" Her teeth gnashed together as she tried to stave off a particularly bad impulse to sob.

_You're going to break. You're going to fall apart. But...not yet. Just hold it together for five more fucking minutes._

"It's like I don't know if there are two of you in that grave or a million or fucking none," she said. "I...I don't know how Max does it, Dad. I really don't. It's..." she flailed her arm, gesturing to the world around her and let it slap against her thigh, "it's really fucking hard to grasp this. And she can't understand. She was  _always_ herself. She never had to see  _another_ her that she didn't fucking remember being." Her body grew tense and she brought her hands to her head, but didn't touch it. "Oh my god, what the fuck is this?" She lowered herself to the ground, dropping her phone beside her so that it cast a beam of light up into the air.

"For her, it was just a fucking cast of characters changing costume. But...I saw  _myself_ kill one of my best friends. One of the only people who was there for me after you left." She swallowed down another sob. "I just fucking killed him.  _And_  his dog. In some...fucking other reality, I'm a murderer." With a quiet sigh of disgust, she roughly dragged her arm across her eyes. "I watched myself die. At...at  _her_ hands. I mean, I don't blame her. I'm not mad. But what am I supposed to do with that image? The love of my life...ending it?" She hung her head. "But it  _wasn't_ me. Not your daughter, but another you's daughter."

"The worst part about knowing and, and  _seeing_  alternate timelines or realities or whatever is knowing that there's at least one out there right fucking now where you're alive and I'm alive and Mom's alive and we're all together and..." she shook her head, "how is it possible to be jealous of myself?" She tapped the ground beside her, solid from the cold weather, hesitantly. "I saw we went to France. I'm glad I...had fun. Pretty hardcore that you guys entertained the possibility of me going to school there..."

_Jesus Christ, just fucking say it. Get it over with._

"Hey, Dad," Chloe said, her voice hitching in her throat. She pulled her knees tightly to her chest and rested her cheek on one of them, her finger listlessly sketching in the dead grass beneath her. "Something is really bother me and I need to say it out loud to someone or it's just going to fucking eat me alive." She roughly exhaled from her nose and gave into the sadness, allowing herself to openly cry. "It's just that, um, Max goes through all these different realities, right? Or...she creates them or whatever. One where you're alive and I'm a cripple. One where I kill someone. One where I'm dead in the junkyard. In the bathroom. And then changing it so instead of being dead, I'm alive again..."

She coughed out a strangled whimper and pressed her forehead hard into her knee, clutching her ankle in a vice with both hands.

"I love her more than anything. I love her to death. I really do. But..." She coaxed the words out of her mouth. "But now I can't stop thinking about how I'm probably not... _her_ Chloe. I could be the eighteenth Chloe she's met. Or the hundredth." She whined in despair. "Does it even matter? Are we all the same or...or what? I just don't understand." Her hands were turning numb with the pressure. "I never really stopped to think about it, but that day of the storm when she 'came back' after the party. Where did the other Max go? Who was I with that night? She just...what, disappeared? I just..." She clutched her head. "Fuck, I don't understand! I don't understand any of this! Doesn't she wonder if everyone around her is just some copy of the version she originally knew?"

_A cheap knockoff. Not the...real one._

"I'm having a literal existential crisis," she said, managing to summon an acidic chuckle. She puckered her lips. "What happened after I died? What would you and Mom have done? I mean, she was only doing as I asked. It was a favor. I'm not sure if it was fair of me to put that on her." She rocked herself forward and crawled closer to William. "You know, when Max was going through her thing... When she was having that crazy PTSD shit, we came up with the idea that she just had all of these memories stuffed way down inside her. I'm like, really kind of scared about what that all means."

"God dammit," she growled, "I can't even focus. I keep going back and forth between that and seeing you." She moved even closer, now on her hands and knees directly on top of the grave. "I thought I was okay now with you being gone. It's not fucking fair I get to see you and not at least fucking hug you." With sudden weakness, her arms trembled and she fell into the dirt. "God, I miss you," she whispered, running her fingers through the grass. She began crying harder, letting herself lie completely flat on the ground. "I miss you."

* * *

"Chloe?" the voice asked for the fifth time, finally stirring the girl awake. The first thing she saw through bleary eyes was the stone of William's grave and she groaned, rolling herself onto her back. A man was crouched beside her, though the glare of the sun cast him in a silhouette.

"Dad?" she asked. She heard a pitying sigh in response.

"No, Chloe. It's Officer Berry," the man replied.

_Ah, that's...that's wonderful._

"Hey," she said, her voice scratchy and weak.

"Are you alright?" He dipped his arms beneath her and helped her into a sitting position.

_Nope._

"Yeah." She squinted at him, faking the best smile she could. "Yeah, I'm cool." He nodded, showing relief.

"Good. I...I uh, well, you know I have more than a few questions," he said.

"Yep," she responded dryly, "that seems pretty fair." She shielded her eyes and glanced around her. "What time is it?"

"7:30." He sighed and stood up straight. "Can you stand?"

_In this reality, yep._

"Mhm." She allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "Listen, I know this looks...pretty bad."

"It doesn't look good, no." He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Listen, I'd really like if you came down to the station with me."

_Fuck._

"How much wiggle room is there for a pass?" she asked. She bent over and picked her phone off the ground, wincing at him.

"You're not in trouble, I'm just worried." He turned and looked over the grave contemplatively. "Your dad?"

"Uh huh. I guess I kind of had a tiny meltdown. I'm fine though. Promise." She held her hands at her side as if presenting herself. "No hurts."

"It'll be quick," he said, clearly trying his best to calmly and nicely convince her, "just want the medical staff to look you over." She frowned and looked at her phone.

_Dammit, I fucked up here._

"Can I charge my phone there? Someone probably has a charger," she said, holding it out to him in demonstration.

"Sure," he replied with a comforting smile.

"Dooo I have to ride with you?" she asked, glancing in the direction of the entrance.

"I'd prefer it," he said. "I can bring you back once you're done."

_No point in arguing this._

"Alright," she said, giving William's tombstone a final look. "Take me away, copper."

Obediently, she followed behind him, compulsively pressing on her phone's power button over and over. She hoped that Max would assume it was just another harmless dream and she'd fallen back to sleep. As they approached the main gate, she spotted something moving out of the corner of her eye. When she looked, she saw a doe standing in the distance, still as a statue and eyes locked on her.

_...you again. What's your deal? Ugh, I'd ask if he sees it, but then if he can't that's really not going to help my case._

Reluctantly, she turned away from it and followed Officer Berry to his cruiser.

"Shotgun?" she asked, drumming her fingers on the top of the car.

"Protocol is backseat, Chloe," he responded with a smirk.

"Kinda figured." She stood aside as he opened the back door, then slipped inside. "Well, didn't plan on ending up back here again." She dragged her finger across the grated divider. "Who sold me out?"

"One of the staff. Name's Ferguson," he said, bent down with one arm on top of the car.

"What a narc." She crinkled her brow grumpily. "I'm going to write a strongly worded letter to him," she said, nestling herself against the seat. In response, Officer Berry snickered and closed the door.

* * *

"All good?" Chloe asked, swinging her feet as she sat on the examination table. The medical examiner backed up and looked over a chart, then turned to her and nodded.

"All good," she confirmed. "I can't make the call, but it sounds like you experienced some sort of dissociative episode." She tilted her head down and looked over the brim of her glasses. "Unless drugs were involved...?"

_Oh Jesus, last thing I need._

"No drugs," Chloe said. "Just...I guess like you said, some kind of freak episode." She rubbed her nose as she grimaced. "Are you going to make me see a shrink?"

"Do you think you need to?" the examiner asked.

_I mean, yeah, probably._

"Nah," she waved the notion away, "I'm fine. I guess I'm just worried about catching a cold from being out there so long." She grinned. "Hey, lucky a bear or something didn't come get me. Or like, a wolf. A whale? Arcadia Bay's most bloodthirsty predators?"

"Lucky indeed," she responded with a smirk. "Okay, you do seem to be alright but if you want my two cents, maybe seeing a therapist wouldn't hurt."

"I'll keep it in mind," Chloe said, sliding off of the table. "Does this go on my record or anything? I mean, was I technically arrested?"

"No, not arrested. Officer Berry will probably have some paperwork to fill out but I wouldn't worry about it too much," the examiner said.

"Well, that's some good news, at least." She made for the door, then stopped and spun back around. "Aaaand maybe we don't have to mention this to David? I know he's buddy-buddy with some of the people here." She clasped her hands together as if begging. "That'd be real swell."

_Seriously, let's try to contain this as much as possible._

"Probably better taking that up with Anderson," she giggled. "You're nineteen, so we're not compelled by law to tell them. It'd really just be gossip."

"People do love to gossip," Chloe said with a roll of her eyes. She turned and walked over to the door, waving over her shoulder as she did so. "Thanks for the check up, Doc."

* * *

"Go home an get some rest, okay?" Officer Berry said, holding onto the door as she stepped out of the car.

"Sure thing, I'm pretty beat," she laughed. "Got a hell of a kink in my neck. Turns out the ground isn't too comfy."

"I can certainly imagine." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I know you've been having a tough time. If you ever need anything, you can ask us, okay?"

"Thanks," she said. "I appreciate it. Just keep the Prescotts off of me, I guess."

"We will." His face turned grim. "Promise, we will."

_Cool, that reaction was way more serious than I expected. Cool._

"Then we're all good!" She slapped the side of the car. "Better get going, I'm sure there's some jaywalkers that need cuffed. Arcadia Bay needs its hero!"

"Wiseacre as always," he smiled, "take care of yourself, Chloe. ...please."

She stood by as he started the car, giving a flippant salute as he pulled away. As she turned in the direction of her truck, she caught sight of a man staring at her from inside the graveyard.

_Please don't talk to me._

"You okay?" he called.

"Peachy," she responded with a thumbs up. Realization struck her. "Are you Ferguson?"

"Yeah," he yelled back.

_Alright then._

"You're a dick!" she shouted, laughing as she held up her middle finger. Not bothering to wait and see if he understood it was in jest, she made her way to her truck and hopped in. Gingerly, she laid her hands on the wheel, stretching out her fingers and took a long, deep breath...and burst into tears.

"Fuck," she said, her voice creaking in a whisper. She dug her phone out of her pocket and unsteadily typed in her password. She'd seen at the station that Max had responded to her, but decided to wait to read the messages until she was alone.

**Max:** Time dream? Are you okay?

**Max:** Was it bad?

**Max:** Babe?

**Max:** Hopefully you fell back asleep. Text me when you wake up please. Love you.

She also noticed that she had one missed call from Max, coming somewhere between a pair of texts. Sniffling, she set her phone on her knee and threw her head back against the seat with a cushioned thud.

_What the hell am I supposed to tell her? How honest am I supposed to be? Am I supposed to tell her it fucking **hurt** and my nose bled?_

**Chloe:** dad

_Seriously, that's all you could manage?_

Unsurprisingly, her phone rang almost immediately. She cleared her throat and answered.

"Hey hey," Chloe said, "what up, baby?"

"Chloe, are you okay? What did you see?" She winced at how shaky Max's voice was. Clearly she'd been dreading this for a long, long time. There was barely enough time to answer before she spoke again. "Chlo?"

"Pretty sad," she admitted, absentmindedly digging her nail into the material of the steering wheel. "I just saw, I dunno, I was in a chair and he was there. Pretty crazy." She rolled her eyes hatefully.

_You're not fooling anybody, you fucking liar._

"...Chloe? Are you okay?" Max repeated, this time stressing the seriousness of the words. "Talk to me, please."

"I mean, I'm kind of fucking shook up," she said, then she cringed. "Sorry, that sounded way meaner than it was supposed to. I guess it's just kind of a lot." Max was silent for a moment.

"Can you come over?" she asked. "I want to see you. I know... I can tell you're not okay."

_Of course you can._

"Yeah, I'll be there in a little bit. Going to grab a bite first. I'm hella hungry. Gotta get smokes too and maybe stop by The Two Whales to ask about a shift." As she finished speaking, she crammed a hand against her face to snuff out any involuntary noises of sadness.

_Lie. Lie. Lie. What are you doing?_

"Al-alright." Max didn't just sound upset, she sounded genuinely afraid. "I'll be here, okay? Just call me if you need me and...I'll see you soon?"

"Of course," Chloe said, pushing another dose of cheeriness into her tone. "I'll be there. Get those huggin' arms ready for meh." Before Max could speak, she skipped forward. "I love you, I'll see you in a bit."

"I love you too," Max said, her voice strained. "Um, bye…"

"Bye cutie," she responded, then ended the call.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK._

Without thinking too much about it, she found her and David's text messages. She hesitated, then began typing.

**Chloe:** heya david, just checkin in. hope everythings cool and youre having a good time.

**Chloe:** love you guys

She wasn't sure what her plans were, but she wasn't ready to look Max in the eye just yet. She didn't know if she'd be able to hold it together. With a twist of the key, the truck groaned to life. She glanced at herself in the rearview, the sight of her glassy, red eyes knotting her stomach. With no destination in mind, she drove off.

* * *

"What the fuck am I doing?" she asked herself, the words sounding tired in her ears. She flicked the wheel of her lighter and lit the cigarette, taking a deep drag and submerging herself in the buzz of nicotine. As she slowly strolled forward, she reached a hand out and touched the metal surface. Her fingers dragged along it, the jagged texture of rust burning her skin. A familiar, clanking roar far off to her left caught her attention.

_I wonder...if Max wasn't fast enough the first time. Did she have to watch me get...?_

The rhythmic churn of the train grew louder until it was deafening and she leaned against one of the dilapidated cars as it passed by. Though it carried on smoothly, she could just see the sparks rocketing from the tracks.

_I remember thinking...this is it. I got saved in the bathroom just to have my guts spill out all over some rusty fucking rails. Right after I got her back..._

"Why were you in the dream?" she asked quietly, directing the question at the disappearing train. "That's never happened before. It was like..some edited video?" She swept a hand in front of her in a pushing motion. "Forget it." She put pressure on the hood of the car, then sprang to her feet. Despite not really wanting to, she plodded over to her old hideout.

As she already knew, it was devoid of her and Rachel's belongings, though she took some solace in the remaining graffiti, especially the piece she'd added when she was last there with Max. A scowl worked itself into her features when she noticed a worn out blanket in the corner, strewn over a collection of other various possessions.

_Looks like someone found a place to crash. I guess...I don't know, I guess it's good they have a roof._

"Whatever," she said dryly, ducking through the doorway leading back outside. She milled about aimlessly, inspecting different objects that had been worn down over time. Then, finally acknowledging a circling thought, she made her way to the spot where they found Rachel.

"You know," she glanced into the sky, squinting at the sunlight, "this place really took too much from me." She scuffed her foot along the dirt that used to cover her friend. "I found Dad's car here. I found  _you_ here. Hell, according to Max, even  _I_ died here." She looked over the cigarette between her fingers that had gone out from neglect and frowned. "You're not even here. I'm talking to nothing. And I mean, hey, who knows, that might also be true at the graveyard."

"She never specified," Chloe said. "She didn't tell me exactly where it was I died here. In the clubhouse? In a pile of trash?" She let out a bitter chuckle. "Sure can't wait to see for myself." She flicked the extinguished cigarette onto the ground and began walking back to her truck. A fluctuation of emotion danced above her sinuses, tearing the embers of anger down into the abyss. Pressing the flat of both index fingers across her eyes, she exhaled and wiped away new tears.

_Bye forever, American Rust._

* * *

Chloe kept her head down as she climbed the steps to Blackwell's campus, wearing not only her beanie but a hood as well to obscure her face as much as she could. The prospect of entertaining discussion with anyone, even those she considered close friends, threatened to unravel her sanity. Luckily, she made her way to the dorm without incident.

Being actually in the dorm, however, was a different matter. Though she kept her eyes low, she could see the shapes of people moving around her as she headed down the hall. She could also tell some of the rooms had their doors wide open, giving even people who weren't actively walking around a shot at initiating conversation with her.

_Fuck, I'm friends with like half of these people now. Please just let me get to Max's before anyone notices me._

Much to her relief, she managed to reach Max's door without drawing any attention to herself. Or rather, none that resulted in a need for social behavior. She'd be surprised if more than a few people didn't notice the bundled up girl scurrying her way through the hall. She breathed in deeply through her nose and raised her fist to knock on the door.

_Okay, Chloe. You can do this. Just hold it together._

She knocked twice, only just loud enough for the person inside to hear. The door jerked open with clumsy speed, revealing a doe-eyed Max. Her eyes showed signs of recent tears, only further proving just how badly she wished Chloe had never seen those memories of her father. She said nothing, only silently gazed at Chloe.

_Fuck._

Chloe worked up a smile. She hoped it was at least somewhat believable.

"Hey," she said, but the sound fell apart as the word bubbled in her throat. She glanced at the floor, then back up at Max, rebuilding the smile. "How are-" She wasn't even really sure if she finished the sentence. Max, and the room behind her, slipped up and out of her view, replaced with the blue of her carpet. As her knees slammed into the floor, she felt two arms wrap around her tightly, catching her from tumbling too hard. She fell forward, sobbing as she buried her face into Max's chest. Max shifted around her and she could hear the sound of the door closing. She tried to speak again, but could barely recognize any of the noises as English.

_No no no please just make this all stop it has to stop._

"Shh," Max whispered soothingly, planting her lips into Chloe's hair, "I'm here." She squeezed tighter as Chloe cried out again, heaving as she clawed into her shirt.

"You're my Max, right?" Chloe whimpered, though her words sounded far away from her.

"Of course I'm your Max," she responded with an understandable tint of confusion in her voice.

"I j-just..." Chloe began, but the sentence flatlined in her mouth. Instead, she wailed, choking on her sadness and giving all of herself to Max's embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: :c


	52. Fine, Great

On the short list of 'worst possible things' Max carried around in her head, Chloe dreaming of the other reality was probably at the top. But even she wasn't prepared for how devastated the poor girl would be once it finally happened. Chloe tried her best to fake it but she barely lasted ten seconds before she broke down in Max's arms. She held her for hours, first on the floor and then on the bed, clutching Chloe's head close to her chest as she whispered soothingly. Eventually, when it seemed Chloe physically couldn't cry any longer, Max decided they should leave Blackwell.

She hated how little they spoke, but in all honesty, she didn't know what to say. She'd thought about it for months, prepared herself for how she'd handle the situation. But now that it actually happened, she felt utterly useless. When they did speak, like when she asked if Chloe wanted to go to her house, the sentences were fractured and incomplete. Worried that they might run into someone looking to strike up a conversation, Max led her to the back of the dorm and around the perimeter of Blackwell property to reach the parking lot.

"Do you want me to drive?" she asked, not yet letting go of Chloe's hand as they got to the truck.

"I can," Chloe said, giving a weak shake of her head as she pulled out of Max's grasp. She frowned at the broken contact, then hurried to the passenger side.

_Chloe, I'm sorry. I don't know what to do for you. I'm sorry._

Chloe's head twisted slow and robotically, checking each of her mirrors as she pulled out of the parking lot. The radio remained untouched, its silence sinking like a stone in Max's stomach. She couldn't even begin to guess what part of the dream was currently eating at Chloe's thoughts. Seeing William again would certainly be painful enough, but she also saw Max...kill her. How did she feel about that? Was she angry? It didn't  _seem_ like it...

_I need to figure out what to say. I need something. I just...fuck._

"Chloe," Max said, reaching beside her to take Chloe's hand. Thankfully, she reciprocated, locking her fingers between Max's. "I, uh...I love you." She inwardly cringed at how much it sounded like a question.

"I love you too," she responded, not taking her eyes off the road. Max looked down at her feet, ashamed at how little was coming to her mind.

"We'll get through this," she said without lifting her head.

Chloe nodded, her lips drawn into a tight line as she fought, and failed, to smile.

* * *

Max watched as Chloe walked ahead of her. The house was eerily quiet aside from the pounding of her leaden footsteps. She entered the living room and flopped onto the couch, immediately burying her face in her hands. Max hurried over to her.

"Chloe," she said, wrapping her arms around her, "will you talk to me?"

"I don't know what to say," Chloe replied in a ghostly voice.

"I know it's hard." Max glanced to the side in somber thought, then cleared her throat. "Um, how much did you see?"

"All of it," she said. Max laid her head on Chloe's shoulder.

_Even the end when I..._

"Um..." She loosened her grip around Chloe for a moment, preparing to pull away if need be. Then she tightened it again. "I'm sorry for..." she gulped, "for the morphine." She started to cry as she remembered that moment.

_No. No, dammit. I have to be strong. I can't cry._

"I asked you," Chloe said. "I mean, I saw how it played out. I begged you. You were doing as I asked."

"Still," Max responded, "I just...I didn't want to do that. I really didn't."

"I can imagine," Chloe chuckled bitterly. "Kind of uncool of me to ask that of you." She ran a hand through her hair. "I looked so different." Max closed her eyes and sighed.

"I know," she said. "It was  _all_  really different. It was...not right. Not how things are supposed to be." Chloe turned her head and regarded Max.

"You know, I was always really confused about what you said just before Dad died. When you told me to be strong. That...that was you." She shook her head. " _You_ you. Not little Max. It was you."

"Yes," Max said, sounding guilty. "I didn't know what else to do. I knew I was going to be moving away. I knew how hard things were going to get for you."

_This is so fucked up._

"Thanks." Chloe ruffled her hair frustratedly and leaned back into the couch. "What the fuck would you have done if you couldn't come back?" She looked at Max with hard eyes. "You would have been arrested. You know that?" Max shrank and looked away.

"I-I don't know." She shrugged, feeling small under Chloe's glare. "You were in so much pain. I just...didn't think that far ahead." Chloe snorted and nodded as if receiving confirmation for a suspicion.

"You didn't," she said, her voice getting chillier. "Max, I don't...I'm having a really rough time understanding this." She let out a burst of caustic breath. "Do you even know how that whole thing works? What if you left that Max there? What if she did get arrested?" Max finally let go of Chloe and faced forward, hugging herself uneasily.

_'One of the many Maxes you left behind...' Right._

"I...I don't  _know,_ Chloe." She wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "The uh, other me said that I was just rewriting the same timeline over and over." Chloe scoffed and lurched to her feet. She turned and pointed at Max.

"See! So now we're believing her?" she asked. She growled and gripped her hair as she paced away. "What the fuck does that mean? Our options are 'we don't fucking know' or 'hey, the crazy psycho version of you was right about everything!'"

"How could she have been right?" Max held her hands out, trying not to flinch at Chloe's flaring temper. "Nothing about that makes sense! I haven't had any problems for  _months._  I haven't had a nosebleed for even longer!" At the mention of 'nosebleed,' Chloe stopped and stared at Max with fearful eyes. "Babe?"

_What's that look for?_

"I know," Chloe said, sliding back into a more neutral expression. "I'm sorry for getting snippy. I just...I don't get this shit at  _all._ " She seemed to be deciding on something, then sighed. "Haven't you ever...I don't know, stopped to think about how many versions of people you've met?"

_What?_

"What do you mean?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean..." Chloe waved her hands in search of explanation, "haven't you ever wondered if I'm the same Chloe you started with? What if the original Chloe just fucking died in the bathroom? What if every time you jumped into a photo, you were just stepping into another reality?" A disconcerting feeling snaked through Max's veins and she turned pale.

_That couldn't be true. ...right?_

"Who was I hanging out with while you were in the reality where I was a fucking vegetable?" Chloe clutched her stomach and let out a weak sob. "Fuck. Fuck, I'm so sick of crying."

"You're my Chloe," Max said in a whisper, acutely aware of how she was sidestepping the question. "Of course you're my Chloe." Chloe tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling.

"Do you know how insane it is to see yourself doing shit you never did?" she asked. Max cast her eyes downward and scrunched her lips to the side.

"I...don't..." she said.

"You don't," Chloe agreed with a sharp nod. "I don't think anyone is  _supposed_  to. It's like I've had all this fucking," she pointed at her temple, "information forced into my goddamn head and there's not enough room for it." She began to hop in place anxiously and flicked her hand as if discarding some of her nerves. "Max, how many times did you fuck up with the train?" Max's eyes grew wide.

"What?" She was shaking her head feverishly, her eyes filling with frightened tears.

_Why would she ask me that?_

"Please, don't play dumb," Chloe said. "My dream was...was different this time. Things kept changing. I was seeing different parts of memories. Things were replaying like someone had a fucking remote. I saw us by the lighthouse." She dragged her hands across her face. "What if I have to watch myself get run over by a fucking train?"

"Chloe, listen," Max began, but was cut off.

"I wasn't prepared for that shit at all," Chloe said, turning away and staring out at the backyard. "I have a right to know. I should know what to expect."

_Fuck no. No._

"I'm not telling you," Max said, her tone resolute. "I'm sorry." Chloe whipped back to her and glared.

"So at least once." She took in a deep breath through her nose to steady herself, then her expression grew sickly. "Did..." she struggled with the words, "did you see it?"

"No," Max said quietly, breaking eye contact. "I couldn't." Chloe sighed in relief and strolled back over to the couch, plopping down onto it.

"Well, that's good at least," she said. She opened her mouth to speak, then slammed it shut with a clink of her teeth. Max leaned to the right to see Chloe's face.

"Babe, what aren't you telling me?" She slowly, cautiously reached for Chloe's hand.

"Nothing," Chloe responded. "It's just fucking with my head. But I guess none of it matters, right?" She smiled weakly and pulled Max's hand to her cheek, leaning her face into it.

_...does it?_

"I don't know," Max said. "It's confusing. It's...it's too hard to understand."

"You got that right," Chloe bitterly agreed. She yawned, then shook the drowsiness from her head. "I could go for some coffee. Do you want some?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure, boo," Max said, giving a light squeeze to Chloe's hand.

* * *

As the day turned to night, Max did her best to distract Chloe. They eventually moved to the bedroom and were halfway through their fourth consecutive movie. Chloe kept having moments where she'd seem to retreat into her head, her eyes staring at the laptop but not quite seeing anything. When this happened, Max tried to strike up conversations about 'normal' things. She'd hold her. Kiss her. She even played her a song on her guitar. Every so often, Chloe would ask for another cup of coffee and Max would run downstairs to get it. She was reminded of the way her mother used to dote on her when she was sick as a child.

"Here you go, baby," Max said, handing Chloe the mug of coffee. She slid back into bed and laid down, resting her head in Chloe's lap.

"Thanks," Chloe replied, taking a large gulp. Max winced at the sight and tried to shift herself so she'd be touching as much of Chloe as she could.

"Isn't it hot?" she asked, though she knew the answer. It was scalding.

"It's fine," Chloe said as if it were no big deal. "Do you like the movie?"

"Yeah." Max frowned and reached to tap the space bar on the laptop. "It's good."

_I know what you're doing, Chloe. You're trying to stay awake._

Though Chloe's well-being took precedent, Max did find herself ruminating on some of the questions that she was asked. She couldn't believe how she hadn't considered some of them. It was almost as if her subconscious had kidnapped those thoughts in an attempt to keep her safe. Of course, the one thing Chloe kept bringing up that Max felt no doubt on was whether or not things were 'right' between them. She wouldn't for a second believe that the Chloe she was currently snuggled with wasn't the real deal. The very idea of it was insulting.

_It sounds like you have your own 'other' you that's fucking with your head._

By the time the fourth movie was over, Chloe had drank two more cups of coffee. They moved on to a fifth film, then a sixth as Max occasionally stole Chloe's attention, comforting her without actually speaking of the problem. Sometime after losing track of how many movies they had watched, she was caught by the steely grip of exhaustion. Over and over, she told herself that she couldn't fall asleep. She couldn't leave Chloe alone. Over and over and over. But it wasn't enough.

* * *

Chloe sat quietly, watching the subtle rise and fall of Max's chest as she purred in her sleep. She wasn't really expecting her to stay up all night, but it still hurt a little that she was now on her own. Now that she had a moment to think on it, she truly regretted how she had spoken to Max earlier. After months of tiptoeing and trying not to upset her or instigate a nosebleed, she carelessly threw impossible question after impossible question at the girl. The same questions that she could still feel chewing on the strands of her sanity.

_Great job, Chloe. Glad to see you can still blow up months of progress in a matter of minutes._

Carefully, she rose out of bed and snagged her cigarettes off the desk before heading downstairs. She slipped her jacket on and secured her beanie, then went outside.

_At least you didn't say anything about the nosebleed. At least you're not a total fuck up._

She situated a cigarette between her lips, taking note of how shaky her hands were. It was more of a jitter than an anxious tremble, and she took solace in knowing the caffeine was doing its part in keeping her awake. Though, the fact that she was indeed wide awake presented its own problems. She didn't want to risk having another dream, but she also knew sleep was probably the best thing for her. Being awake meant that she could avoid the dreams, but that she was...well, conscious. And being conscious meant thinking.

_Either take the gamble on a dream and get some rest or stay up and do nothing but fucking think about it. Great options._

She walked to the edge of the driveway and looked left and right down her street. She wondered how much damage the storm would have done to it were it left unchecked. It wasn't like she had much of a relationship with any of her neighbors, but she definitely didn't want them to die or really even suffer a bit of minor property damage. After a long drag, she sat down on the curb and took out her phone.

_Let me just check on him._

She dialed a number and pinned the phone between her ear and shoulder as she fiddled with her shoelaces.

"Hey brat," Frank answered. She could hear Pompidou scurrying around in the background. "It's...holy shit, it's late. Are you okay?"

_Still here._

"Yo," she said, working up a small smile at his voice. "Yeah, I'm okay. Did I wake you up?"

"No, I just got off." He snickered. "We got slammed but I pulled through without any help."

"Awesome." Chloe flicked her cigarette into the street and immediately grabbed another. "You're really settling in there, huh?"

"I think so," he said. "It helps that the customers don't get to see who's making their food. I like hiding in my kitchen. No, er, worries about the town dirtbag making your meal."

"Good to hear, man," she responded. "How's Pompidou?"

"He's fine. Getting fat," Frank said, then there was a beat of silence. "Are you sure you're okay? Why did you call?"

_When did I stop being good at hiding shit?_

"Max conked out early and I'm all hopped up on caffeine so I figured, what the fuck, I'll bother Frank," she said. "And yes, I'm fine."

"Okay," he said, suspicion underlining his words, "just making sure." Chloe felt a bubble of anxiety in her throat.

"Hey, do you have any guns in the RV?" she asked. She could almost hear his look of confusion.

_Subtle._

"What? Where did that come from?" Frank asked. "I have one... Why?"

"I'm just...I don't know, man, I'm just curious." She slowly reclined onto her back in the driveway. "You should ditch it. Gun control."

"Pfft, what? Are you...high?" It was a sincere question. "What in the hell you talking about?"

"I don't know. I just have a bit of a distaste for the fucking things. I've been shot, if you'll recall." She gritted her teeth, realizing how incoherent she sounded. "If you're cleaning up your act, you should get rid of it."

_I do sound high._

Okay..." She could hear the pop of a beer bottle and the ensuing gulping noise. "Look, I don't know where this is coming from but I forgot I even had the damn thing until now. I'm not going to rush to get rid of it, but I'll do it eventually." He chuckled. "I guess I should try to avoid situations where I'd need to use it, anyway. I'm glad I have you around to stop me from taking one in the chest." Chloe clenched her jaw at that. "Seriously though, Chloe. You know I'm not good at this mushy shit but I think you kinda saved my life. Who knows where I would have ended up if you didn't stop by after Rachel's funeral."

_This is a sick joke, right?_

"You're being dramatic," she said, laughing uneasily. "We're friends. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, "just figured I'd say it."

"Well, I appreciate it. I'm happy you're still around." She reached beside her and pressed her palm into the cool concrete, feeling all of the little, jagged pieces. "Well, I'll let you go. I have quite the list of people to bug. Social butterfly that I am."

"Alright," he laughed, "I'll see you later, dork."

"Laters," she said, then hung up the phone.

_So, what's the takeaway? In one reality, I kill him. In another, I save him. Does it cancel out? Does it fucking matter?_

As she pulled on her third cigarette, her eyes strayed from the blazing ember to the night sky above her. There wasn't a cloud in sight, allowing her to see all of the pinpricks of light in the black sheet of darkness. She wondered how many of them were still alive and how many were merely the ghosts of long forgotten life.

"Are the stars the same in every reality?" she mused aloud. "Probably...right?" She clicked her tongue in thought, then scrolled through her phone for another number.

"Hello?" Warren answered, his voice carrying no trace of sleepiness. She held the phone away from her for a moment and looked at it in surprise.

"Why are you awake?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" There was a scoff of disappointment. "Wow, it is  _way_  later than I thought it was. I've been raiding."

_Probably a fucking nerd in every reality._

"Killing orcs?" Chloe asked with a slight smirk.

"Something like that," he replied. "So, what's up? Why the late night call?"

"Uh, okay, right." She puckered her lips in uncertainty. "I mean, if you're busy..."

_Kinda hope you say you are._

"Nah, I'm done. We've wiped like ten times." Chloe could hear him moving around. "Bunch of scrubs."

"So," she breathed out, "you know how I get those dreams?"

"Yeah?" He immediately sounded more alert. "What happened?"

"I, uh, had one about when Max was in a different reality." She raised her arm and pointed at one of the stars, then dragged it slowly to another as if drawing a string between them. "I was in a wheelchair and my dad was alive."

"What the fuck?" He tried to follow up several times but could only conjure the beginning sound of words before he resigned himself to silence.

_Appropriate response._

"Yep," Chloe said, "pretty...pretty 'what the fuck.'" She sat up and pulled her legs beneath her. "Listen, you talked about that weird feeling you get when Max tells you something you did but didn't do. What is that like?"

"Uh...it's, it's like..." He was clearly uncomfortable. Which made sense. This particular topic was very much one the two of them would prefer to bury and ignore. "It's hard to explain. It's like, um, have you ever been electrocuted?" The sort of hiss that accompanies a cringe leaked through the receiver. "I don't mean like, actually electrocuted. But like if you've ever accidentally touched the prong of a cord when you're unplugging it, it feels like...vibration or something?"

_Yup._

"Yes," Chloe said, nodding her head attentively. "Yes, I know what you mean."

"It was sort of like that but inside my head," he said, "but it also felt like someone flashed a strobe light. Like...it blinded my thoughts? Like I couldn't think. I don't know, like the flash of a..." His voice dropped off.

"Camera," Chloe quietly finished for him.

"I, um, never really put it together like that before," he admitted.

"Yeah," she said, shifting nervously, "what else does it feel like?"

"I don't know, it makes me kind of dizzy. It didn't really at first, though. And it's like nails on a chalkboard, it makes me shiver." He hesitated for a moment. "It happened to you."

"Yes," she responded. "When I woke up from my dream, I was all fucked up." She fumbled for another cigarette. "But there was something else."

"What?" he asked.

"I got a...nosebleed," she said, aggressively spinning the wheel of her lighter.

"What!?" His voice scratched in a loud hush. "What the fuck?  _From_ the dream or...?"

"Fucking crazy coincidence if it wasn't," she said. "It's never happened before. I've had tons of these dreams by now. I don't understand why this one did it."

"Well, what was different about it? Aside from...I guess everything." She could hear the sound of him opening and closing drawers.

_This is fucked._

"I don't know," she said. "I mean, I just..." She huffed and flailed her arm. "I do know, I don't know why I'm pretending I don't. I watched myself fucking die."

"Wait, what?" Warren asked. He sounded genuinely dumbfounded.

"You heard me," she said. "I died. I watched my own last breath."

"Uh..." He blew air through his lips in a neighing fashion. "I don't really know what to say, Chloe. That's fucked up. Are you...okay?"

"Not really," she mumbled.

"Did you...tell Max?" he asked.

"Fuck no! Are you kidding me? I can't like, trigger a relapse or something!" she hissed.

"No, I get it." He was silent for a moment. "Do you want to try something?"

"What's that?" She scowled as she plucked at the fabric of her pants.

"You can, um, tell me something that happened to me," he said. "We should try to understand this better."

_Are you insane?_

"Dude, what? No way." She shook her head to herself. "I'm a complete mess because of it."

"Come on, it's fine," he assured. Chloe took a deep breath.

_Dammit. Alright, think..._

"Uh, okay..." She looked around as if she might find an example. "You totally fucking owned Nathan Prescott." She recoiled in expectancy.

"Nothing happened," he said with a bit of relief. "But I already knew that. Max told me. So...I guess it doesn't happen with information I already have?"

_Well, that's something... But it doesn't help me._

"But I know everything," Chloe said. "I didn't know the specifics, but I knew I died. I knew my dad was alive. It's not breaking news for me." She heard Warren 'hmm.'

"Try something I might not know," he said. Chloe thought it over.

"In the other reality, it looked like you were hooked up with Stella," she said. Instantly, a sound of stifled pain came from the receiver. "Dude! Are you okay!?"

_Fuck, this was a bad idea!_

"Y-yeah," he stammered, "I'm good. It was...definitely worse that time than the others."

"So, what? The more you know, the worse it gets?" she asked.

"Maybe? I mean, we're both kind of just guessing here," he sighed. He chuckled exasperatedly. "This is crazy. It's crazy. What the fuck?"

"Dude, I don't know," she said. "I mean, we can at least prevent it from happening to you and other people. But if it happens to me in my dreams..." She huffed. "Obviously that's why I'm still awake."

"I sort of figured," he said. "What if it  _is_ because you saw yourself die? Then...then at least that'd be it, right? You got it out of your system?" Chloe tightened her eyes shut when she could feel tears building.

_There's a lot more in my system._

"No," she whispered, "I died...a lot. I don't even know how much. She won't tell me." She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face between them. "Warren, I'm really scared."

"I...I know," he said, his voice full of pity. "We'll...figure it out. Somehow." Chloe shoved down a sob in her chest and nodded.

"Right... Listen," she said, reaching for another cigarette, "I'm going to go. I'm sorry if I like, fucked up your night. I'm sorry. That was selfish. I just needed to tell someone."

_Now I'm dragging Warren down with the ship._

"It's okay," he said with sincerity, "it's really okay. Are you going to be okay tonight?"

"Uh huh," she rubbed her eyes on her sleeve, "I'm cool. I'll catch you later, alright?"

"Alright... Night, Chloe," he said, clearly reluctant to hang up.

"See ya," she responded, then ended the call.

_Awesome._

She stayed in the driveway, burning the last cigarette down to the filter as she silently cried. When it was done, she forced herself to her feet and went back inside. Carefully, she crept back into her room and picked the laptop up off the bed, then stared at Max. She seemed so peaceful as she slept, curled up with the blankets fluffed up around her. For the first time in twenty-four hours, Chloe smiled and actually meant it.

Laptop in hand, she sat on the couch in the living room and went to work on Google. With each search, she found herself embarrassed at the kind of terms she was typing in. Parallel universes. Alternate realities. Side-effects of time travel. She'd done research on time travel after meeting back up with Max, but now she was scouring forums and strange, poorly made websites from the 90's for firsthand accounts and ridiculous theories. Unsurprisingly, none of them matched up with her experiences.

_Figures. The first people to ever time travel are two fucking teenaged girls that don't understand a fucking thing about it. Why us?_

When she felt her eyes become heavier, she returned to the kitchen and brewed a new cup of coffee. Exactly how long could she stay up? Worse still, Joyce and David were due to return in another day and they would certainly see something was wrong. Then there was work to worry about... She roughly rubbed her face to help wake herself up, then went back to the laptop

_Timelines. What **is** time? Is it a man-made concept? Fate. Dimensions._

She typed and typed, growing more agitated with each bit of irrelevant information. Finally, she slammed the laptop in disgust and fell back into the couch.

"This is such bullshit," she muttered. She lifted her head and looked around the room. It was suddenly impossible to not notice the differences between the one she was currently in and the one in the other timeline. Nothing seemed to be in the right place. It pulled at her in discomfort.

_Dad... I'm sorry I stressed you out so much. I hope you'd understand why Max did what she did. I was so...broken. I guess I'm not really supposed to be here in any reality._

"Except this one," she finished out loud. "I'm supposed to be here. With Max. My Max." She felt something on her shoulder and jolted, jerking around to find Max behind her, the blanket from her bed wrapped around her shoulders.

"Your Max," she said, her voice weak with sleep. She came around the couch and sat down, rocking herself onto her knees as she reached out and laid her hands on Chloe's cheeks. "I'm always yours. You know that, right?"

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"I mean that it doesn't matter if there's just us or a billion realities." Max moved closer and kissed her lovingly. "In every single one of them, I'm yours."

"You don't know that," Chloe said, shaking her head.

"I got my powers in the bathroom when Nathan shot you," Max said. "I didn't even know it was you. But... It has to count for something that you were the one that triggered it." She frowned and looked away. "I went through hell for you. Don't you dare tell me that this isn't real."

"Max..." Chloe sighed. "I'm sorry. I love you. It's just hard."

"I know it is," Max said. "I know. But we're together. I don't have the answers for any of this shit. I don't have anything I can say to...to try and fix what this did to you. But we're together and I know it's hard, but please..." She hugged Chloe, pressing her face into the girl's chest. "Don't doubt this. Us."

"I don't," Chloe responded, moving her hands along Max's back, "I promise, I don't. I just..." Her voice failed her once she realized she didn't have anywhere for the thought to go.

_I don't._

"Next time you have a dream, you need to let me know right away," Max said, kissing Chloe's chest through the cloth of her shirt. "I know you usually do, but yesterday was so scary. If it's bad like that, I need you to tell me. I need to be there for you. I hate the thought of you just sitting here going crazy all morning."

_Oh, right. I didn't tell her about getting sort of arrested at the cemetery._

"Okay," Chloe said.

"I'm not mad," Max continued, snuggling into Chloe further to demonstrate the truth in her words, "but you can't keep things from me. You have to be honest. You can't...you can't keep putting up this front that everything's okay." A somber noise rumbled in Max's throat. "You can't tell me that you're scared you're not the real Chloe if you're choosing not to be her."

Chloe swallowed hard, imagining the cloud of blood in the toilet. Max was right, of course. They couldn't keep secrets from each other. Especially not about this. If the truth did have some kind of effect on Max, if it sent her back into a dark place, they'd be able to get through it just like before. She closed her eyes, readying herself. She had to tell her the truth.

"I will, Max," she said. A heavy, revolting feeling took root in her chest when she realized that was all she had to say. There was nothing else on her tongue.

_I'm sorry._

"Good," Max said, taking hold of Chloe's hands and wrapping them around herself. She yawned and nestled into her lap. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Chloe whispered, staring straight ahead, "I'm fine."


	53. Timey Wimey

A growling, pained sound beckoned Max from her slumber. The noise was strange; strangled and primal, but extraordinarily familiar. She heaved herself upright and squinted in the dark, straining her eyes to try and find the source of it before realizing it was coming from right beside her. Even with very little light to go by, she could see the silhouette of Chloe contorted and clutching her head. A continuous hiss of pain sputtered from her throat, punctuated every few seconds with a sharp intake of breath.

_What the hell?_

"Chloe?" she asked, pouncing to her and taking her in her arms. "Baby, what's wrong? What is it?"

"It's nothing," Chloe replied, jerking her shoulder and pulling herself out of Max's embrace. She got to her feet, stumbling forward for a moment as if lacking any sense of balance.

"What..." Max made a move toward her, frustration percolating under her skin, "what do you  _mean_ nothing? Something is obviously wrong!"

_What is she hiding from me!?_

"I'm  **fine,**  Max," Chloe barked as she started toward the door. Max hurried off the bed and followed her.

"Chloe," she called after her, trying to make her voice as commanding as she could. There was no response. "Chloe!" Chloe picked up her pace, almost running as she fled into the bathroom. Just as Max reached the doorway, the door slammed shut in her face, followed by the click of the lock. "Chloe!" She pounded on the door. "Please, open up! You have to talk to me!"

_What the fuck!?_

"It's alright," Chloe's chilly voice came from behind the door, "I just need to use the bathroom, okay?"

_Like hell is it 'okay!'_

"Chloe, please!" Max slammed her hand against the door twice more, then simply leaned her forehead into it. "What was it?" she asked, her voice so quiet that she wasn't even sure if Chloe could hear her.

_What was it this time?_

"I just have to pee, Max," Chloe said, her voice quivering as she spoke. There was a small stretch of silence before a horrible scream flooded the bathroom, followed by the bang something breaking against a hard surface. Max gasped and manically jerked the doorknob, twisting it as far as it would go in either direction with hopes of gaining entrance. There was another violent sound, but it seemed flatter and was followed by a high-pitched yelp.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck._

"Fuck," Max whimpered, adding to the thought. Gripping the handle tightly, she let all of her weight fall backward. She flailed herself side to side, praying it would just turn a little more. "Chloe, please! Please, okay? I need to be in there with you! I need to! Let me in, please!" Her hand slipped from the doorknob and she fell backward onto her rear with a thud. Not missing a beat, she lurched forward and crawled back to the door. "Chloe! Please! Please..." She propped herself against the door, burying her face in her hands as she cried.

_I don't know what's happening!_

"Babe," Max pleaded, grabbing the knob again and pulling herself to her feet, "listen, okay? I really need you to let me in. You promised you'd let me help. Whatever it is, whatever you saw, I can help, okay? Please." There was nothing for what seemed an eternity, then a soft click came from the door and it slowly opened. "Baby," Max said, though she suddenly lost the ability to construct more words. Horror pried her eyes wide open at the sight of her lover. Chloe stood slouched, eyes red with tears and an expression buried under layers upon layers of sadness. But that wasn't what held Max rooted to the spot, unable to move and feeling like she'd be sick at any moment. No, that was caused by the swath of blood covering Chloe's lips.

"Max," Chloe whispered, shaking her head regretfully. She sniffled, then wiped her eyes as her lips bundled together. "I'm sorry..."

"What...what is happening?" Max asked, her tone spiking fearfully. Chloe brought her fingers to her temples and tried to speak, her lips moving soundlessly as she searched for something. "Chloe? What is this?"

"I don't know," she replied, hiding her face while she cried. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I should have told you. I'm really sorry."

_What?_

"Told me?" Max reached out for her slowly, resting her hand on Chloe's abdomen. "What are you talking about?"

"Last...last night when I had the dream, I, uh..." She gulped as she tried to explain. "I got a nosebleed when I woke up. I-I had that feeling Warren talked about. My head..." She stopped speaking for a moment, an elongated squeak replacing her words as her tears quickened. "It hurt. My head really hurt. And then my nose started to bleed. I don't know what's going on. I don't..."

_Oh my god. Oh my god. Okay, okay, I need to...I need to do something._

"Okay...okay," Max said, trying to reclaim some sense of control on the situation. She reached forward with her other hand and took Chloe by the forearm, carefully coercing her through the doorway. She brought a hand to Chloe's lips and gently wiped at the blood, not caring that it was staining her fingers red. "Chloe, listen," she said softly, "I'm here, okay?"

"What's wrong with me?" she asked, the pace of her breathing bordering on hyperventilation.

"I don't know." Max brought her closer, slipping her arms under Chloe's. "Try to breathe. Come on, with me, okay?" Max took in a slow, long breath through her nose and let it out through her tightened lips just as slowly. She pressed herself against Chloe so she could feel the rhythm of it. "Like me, Chlo." She breathed again, trailing her arms up Chloe's back and pushing against her shoulder blades so that they tightly bound together. After a few more deep breaths, Chloe had successfully matched Max's pace.

"I shouldn't have hidden it," Chloe said. "I just...I didn't want to upset you. I didn't want you to relapse or something."

_Of course, but..._

"I understand," Max replied, now resting her cheek against Chloe's chest. "I know. I know you were trying to protect me. But you can't hide this from me anymore. Okay?"

"Okay," Chloe answered. She hesitated for a moment, then finally returned Max's embrace. "Am...am I sick?"

"What?" Max asked, pulling her head back a bit to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Am I...not supposed to be here? Is it like...I don't know," Chloe sighed, "is it going to take me?" Max took a step back and grabbed Chloe by the shoulders.

"No," she said firmly. "You  _are_  supposed to be here. If you believe me on anything, it has to be that." Max's expression faded into something dark. "I don't care what I have to do, I will protect you." She shook her head slowly as she stared into Chloe's eyes. "I'd tear the universe apart if I needed to. Please believe me. Whatever is happening, I'll be here to help you through it. Just like you did for me."

"You're..." Chloe glanced at the ceiling, then back at Max, "you're taking this better than I thought you would."

_Sure, okay._

"Because it's my turn to be strong," Max said. "I've been so unsure of what to say or do. I didn't know how to help." She brought both of Chloe's hands to her lips. "But now I do. Seeing you in pain like this... No, I won't allow it." After kissing Chloe's hands, her lips scrunched to the side. She held one out and looked it over. "You hurt yourself," she mumbled.

"I just had to get some of it out of me," Chloe replied quietly. "It's just bruised. It's okay." Max sighed sadly and kissed the injured hand once more.

_Dammit. Dammit._

"Okay," she said. "I'll get you some ice, alright? Wait for me in your room." Chloe nodded and slowly shuffled past her back into her room. As Max went to turn off the bathroom light, she saw the Price's toothbrush holder smashed into pieces on the ground. She looked at the floor and gathered her wits, then went in to clean it up.

* * *

"Can you tell me?" Max asked. Chloe's hand was in her lap, snugly wrapped in an ice pack. "I need to know everything."

"There's...I don't know, there's not much to tell." Chloe dragged her free hand across the blanket mindlessly. "I told you the dream was different. How it was like a mix of several memories. And...I had that same feeling Warren had." She shrugged as if admitting guilt. "I called him while you were sleeping last night. I told him." Max showed a look of unease, then she nodded. "I had to tell someone and I didn't want to freak you out."

_That sucks, but I get it. I'll have to check in with him._

"What did he say?" Max shifted her leg from underneath her to rest her foot against Chloe's thigh, just to have more contact.

"I mean, he didn't know, obviously," Chloe said. "But we compared the feeling and it was definitely the same one. And we...uh, tested it out." Max narrowed her eyes.

_Uh?_

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"He had me tell him something from another timeline," Chloe responded. "At first, it didn't work because he already knew it. But then I told him something else and it happened. So, we kind of assume that once you know, it doesn't affect you again."

"That's...something," Max said, though she disliked the thought of using Warren as a guinea pig.

"And, uh, we also tried to narrow down what would have been different about my dream to cause my nose to bleed." She winced when Max stared at her, awaiting a response. "The biggest difference being that I died." Max looked down at Chloe's hand in her lap, subduing the instinct to cry.

_I did that. I caused that. ...wait a second._

"Chloe," Max asked slowly, "what was your dream tonight?"

"We were in the junkyard," she said. "Playing with the gun..." Max closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. "A bullet bounced off a bumper and hit me in the stomach. I saw you rewind it, but...I think it actually might have killed me if you didn't. They kept saying how much damage a bullet can do once it gets inside your body. I guess it, I don't know, counts. I guess...I was dead, you just stopped it before I was actually gone."

_That one was my fault too. "Shoot the bumper, Chloe..."_

"I'm sorry," Max said. "I didn't tell you about that. I just...didn't think you needed to know."

"I fucking hate guns," Chloe muttered. "But there was...other stuff. It was weird again. Like the last one. I saw...I saw you pointing the gun at Frank. And I saw you helping Warren with a school project. And...I saw when you said goodbye. When you left."

_Of course you did._

"Why are your dreams getting so jumbled?" Max asked, though it was mostly just to verbalize the thought.

"I don't know," Chloe said, providing the obvious non-answer. She thought for a moment. "Uh, I guess it's probably obvious now, but it hurts. It hurts Warren too. He just never told you." Max's shoulders slouched as she looked around in wounded disbelief.

"I...can't believe this," she said. "I didn't know. I didn't...ugh." She hung her head.

"I know you didn't," Chloe replied. "We agreed not to tell you a long time ago. I know that's not right, but...it's the same deal. We didn't want to risk anything." She rocked her head back and forth as if deciding on something. "He said it's worse every time it happens."

"Oh." Max chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "I feel really bad."

_Poor Warren._

"We just have to be careful," Chloe said. "That's it."

"I've been trying," Max responded. "I don't want to hurt anyone." She lifted Chloe's hand and cradled it against her stomach. "How do you feel about...the other stuff? Seeing everything?"

"Not good." She tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling. "It's still fucking with my head. Do you..." she looked back at Max, "do you think there are alternate realities or that you just changed the same one over and over? What do  _you_ think?"

"I'm not sure, babe," Max said in a disappointed tone. "I wish I knew. I mean..." she chuckled joylessly, "I still don't understand the...idea that I was rearranging the universe. I don't know how to process that, you know?" She furrowed her brow. "What...what does that mean? Was it just...Arcadia Bay or was I actually rewinding the entirety of reality? Every star in the sky? What does that... _make_  me?"

"Max," Chloe said. When the girl perked her head as if awaiting a question, Chloe just shrugged. "It makes you Max. That's all we can...deal with right now." Chloe snickered somewhat desperately. "We can't go down that path. No fucking way."

"I don't want to," Max said, huddling in on herself uncomfortably. She removed the ice pack and lightly sandwiched Chloe's hand between hers to warm it up. "Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"No." Chloe shook her head. "I don't think so." She seemed to realize something and grabbed her phone, looking at the time. "It's 4am. You have to get some rest for school, babe."

_Fuck that._

"I'm not going to go, Chloe," Max said, her tone firm. "Are you insane? I haven't missed a single day all year, I'm going to stay here with you. Joyce and David are coming home too and I want to be here to help navigate that in case you struggle."

"Playing hooky," Chloe chided, working up a petite smile. "You're such a rebel."

"I am," Max replied. "I'm sure Blackwell will be just fine without me. I'll text Kate to let the administrator's office know." She tossed the ice pack onto the floor and crawled next to Chloe, taking her in her arms. "I'm not going to leave you like this."

"Thanks." Chloe nestled into Max and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one," Max said, then shrugged. "I guess we both are." Chloe kissed her cheek once more, then turned the girl's face toward her so she could get her lips. She exhaled a laugh through her nose and pulled away.

"Uhh, I did forget something," she said. Max's lips tightened into a straight line as she braced herself. "I forgot to tell you that I went to the cemetery to see my dad after the dream and I kind of ended up, um, passing out there. Office Berry found me and took me to the station. It's fine, nothing happened but..." she shrugged, "you know, transparency." Max stared back at her with big eyes, then started to chuckle.

_Wow._

"That's...that's ridiculous," she said, unable to curb her laughter. "Not why you were there, of course, but just..." She touched her nose to Chloe's cheek. "Only you could fall asleep in a graveyard, get...arrested and walk out Scot-free."

"I wasn't arrested," Chloe grumbled. "I was more...escorted."

Unlike the previous night, Max had no trouble staying awake. Chloe being lost in a spiderweb of unanswerable questions about the inner workings of reality was surely horrid enough, but now that Max knew she was also feeling physical repercussions, it only made it more dire. She thought about when she used to get nosebleeds herself and how badly her head would throb. Not just her head, but sometimes her entire body. It didn't sound like the sensations were exactly the same by her and Warren's description, but she supposed she could relate well enough.

"What are you thinking about?" Max asked. She sat upright, her back against the wall as Chloe took a spot between her legs, resting against Max as the girl's arms draped protectively around her shoulders. Chloe's head rocked back into Max's collarbone.

"Everything," she said. Max frowned and leaned forward, planting a kiss in Chloe's hair.

"It's hard when you just...can't turn it off," Max said quietly. "It gets so loud."

_That...endless sea of noise from every direction..._

"What about you? What are you thinking about?" Chloe asked back.

"You, of course," Max said. She shifted her arms a hair and Chloe placed hers over top of them. "I'm trying to figure this out."

"Yeah." Chloe's voice was a bit hollow, as if she knew how fruitless the endeavor was. "I thought I was immune to it. I knew everything that happened. I guess I'm a late bloomer."

"Something about this  _has_ to make sense," Max replied. "There has to be  _some_ set of rules or something. It can't just be random." Chloe snickered and tilted her head to the side, kissing Max's bicep. It made Max feel slightly better that she was at least summoning some sense of humor or laughter, but it all sounded very tired.

"I'd be surprised if there were," she said. She sighed and pulled one of Max's hands into her lap and threaded their fingers together. "The, uh, only plus side I can see to this is that there's only so much ammunition." Max raised an eyebrow in interest. "I mean, worst case scenario, I just...have to suffer through it until I've seen all of the times I've died. If that's...what the problem is." Max scowled with enough emphasis that Chloe could feel it. "I know. I...know. I don't expect you to tell me how many times."

_Chloe..._

"It was..." Max steeled her nerve, "it was horrible, Chloe. I just kept ... _losing_ you."

"And bringing me back," Chloe replied. "Tug-o-war with death. I guess you've got a hell of a grip." The soft smack of her lips could be heard as she debated asking her next question. "What do you think caused the storm? Why did it go away when I got shot?"

"Like pretty much everything else, I have no clue," Max said. "It definitely seemed related to my powers. I guess at this point, that's confirmed. But I don't know what it... _was._ And I don't know why it stopped."

"It's funny," Chloe snorted in a way that signaled it was decidedly  _not_  funny, "we know and have seen things that people have speculated about since the beginning of history. Life's unanswered questions. And, as it turns out, the answers to those questions are just more fucking questions."

"Not 'ha ha' funny, but I get you," Max responded. She squeezed Chloe safely in her arms. "The honest truth, and I think the truth the whole time has just been that I don't care." Chloe made an inquisitive sound. "I mean, we ended up where we ended up. I don't care how it happened or why. Would I like to know? Sure. But...I'm content having you here with me."

_Nobody wants to know how sausage is made. I guess the same is true for defying fate._

"I hope in time I can get there too," Chloe said. "It's still such a fucking mess in my mind, but maybe I'll get there." She sighed and sat up, then turned around to face Max. "I'm really impressed with how you're handling this. I know I already said that, but..." She shrugged sheepishly.

"I kind of am too," Max admitted. She smiled awkwardly as if she wasn't sure whether to be proud or not. "I mean, I didn't even get the tiniest feeling like I'd have a nosebleed or that anything would happen. I was just concerned about you."

"Thanks," Chloe said quietly, "you're a badass." She traced her hands up along Max's body until they found a home in her hair, then slowly took her into a kiss.

* * *

They stayed in bed like that through the morning, carefully and quietly being together with no distractions. Though things were stable, even tiptoeing the line of 'positive,' neither of them were fooled into believing that things were  _better._  But even in its own way, that was encouraging. To know there was a process they'd need to work through together to properly heal, but that they were still able to have moments of being alright. Max figured, if anything, that was a big step in the right direction.

As always, and with that small glimmer of irony, they lost track of time. It wasn't until they heard the sound of a car door that Chloe turned pale and uncertainty coated her features. Max knew she was more than happy to have Joyce and David back, even if it meant the end of their pretending to own a home. But she also knew Chloe was dreading trying to act okay in front of them. In the back of her mind, Max had been formulating a plan all morning as to how they would handle it. She'd run interference when needed or do her best to remove Chloe from the situation until she could reset.

"Okay," Chloe said, drawing the word out as if it were a chore, "let's...go try and do this."

_You got this, baby._

As they reached the bottom of the steps, the door was opening.

"We're home!" Joyce declared as she came through the door, dropping her bags of luggage onto the floor as she held her arms out. Chloe took the cue and stepped into her arms, receiving they cloyingly sweet hug only a mother could give. To her relief, Max could see Chloe smiling and she could even tell that it was genuine. "You would not even believe how wonderful the trip was!"

"That's awesome, Mom," Chloe said, not yet breaking out of Joyce's hug. A moment later, David came through the door with another round of luggage and, unlike Joyce, carefully set it to the side. Chloe finally pulled out of Joyce's arms and immediately headed toward David. "Hey Dadvid," she said quietly, "I missed you."

"That's unbelievable," he chuckled, rubbing her back as she hugged him. "I missed you too, Chloe." He looked over at Max and cocked an eyebrow. "Hey Max," he said, checking the time on his phone, "aren't you supposed to be in school?"

_Ergh._

"Oh, I wasn't feeling well this morning," she responded. Then, before he could question further, she moved into Joyce's embrace. "I missed you guys too!" She was sure to add extra flair to it. Joyce snickered and issued one tight squeeze, then let go of her.

"Missed you too, Max," she said.

"Do you guys need help with the suitcases?" Chloe asked. Max watched as the girl subtly bent and unbent her knees, hopping in place anxiously.

"No, that was the last of it," David responded, receiving a hug from Max. "It was such a great trip, We have to tell you both all about it."

"Sounds good, we have plenty of time," Chloe said, holding her hand up in a thumbs up.

* * *

"Wow, that sounds crazy," Max said, reaching under the table to rest her foot against Chloe's, feeling the jittery tapping of it against the floor. Joyce nodded enthusiastically.

"It was absolutely beautiful," she confirmed. "I do wish you two could have been there. Max, you'd have taken so many pictures."

"Oh, I bet," she said. "My camera is very jealous."

"Maybe next time," David added with a small smile, "we would definitely have to bring you both with us."

"That sounds like a promise," Chloe snarked, though Max could see her following a blueprint in her mind for what to say and how to say it. Chloe's shoulders slouched together and she glanced away when she noticed Joyce staring at her.

"Hon, are you alright?" she asked. Max took a deep breath, preparing herself to jump in. Chloe ran a hand through her hair.

_Come on, Chloe. Give me a signal._

"Yeah, I'm alright," she said. "Just tired. Me and Max didn't get a ton of sleep last night." David's nose scrunched slightly and Chloe let out a real laugh. "Not like that," she assured.

_Sigh. I wish. It would certainly be better than this._

"I-I don't know what you're talking about and you don't need to elaborate," he stammered. Joyce simply rolled her eyes as she tapped him on the arm in a scolding manner.

"I really missed you guys," Chloe said for what might have been the twentieth time. Joyce nodded at her.

"It makes my heart swell that you keep saying that." She turned to the kitchen and sighed. "Well, as much as I was used to being pampered, I should ask if either of you girls are hungry." When Chloe didn't respond, Max bonked her leg off of Chloe's.

"Yep, we're super hungry," she said, baring her teeth in a grin.

_You have to eat, Chlo._

"You don't have to make anything," Chloe added. "I mean, you just got back."

"Oh, I don't mind." Joyce waved a flippant hand.

"I've certainly missed your cooking," David snickered. "Cruise food is amazing, but there's something about a good, home-cooked meal."

"Exactly!" Joyce said as she stood up from the table.

And it was just like that, Joyce slipped right back into her role as favorite cook at the Price household. It didn't take long before she had a meal ready for everyone, perfectly including each of the food groups. Chloe swallowed, working up her nerve to eat, then began jabbing her fork around for her food.

"What did you two do while we were away?" David asked, excitedly reaching for a biscuit from the basket in the middle of the table. "Anything fun?"

"Oh, not a ton," Max replied, stealing the opportunity for Chloe to avoid her food. "We sort of treated the house like it was ours, so that was neat. We felt very adult."

_Also filled it up with weed stench and threw a party. And defiled most flat surfaces in the house. Sorry, not sorry._

"Oh, you know you can stay here whenever you want," Joyce said, though she did frown a bit. "I'm not too pleased with you skipping school to do so, but the sentiment stands."

"If she wasn't feeling well, she wasn't feeling well," David defended with a shake of his head. At that, Joyce shrugged in acceptance.

Max's eyes kept straying to Chloe and she was relieved to see more and more instances of sincere smiles appear as they all talked. It seemed that having them back was also easing something in Chloe's mind. Though, to the point of confusing both Joyce and David, the girl did keep stressing how much she missed them.

_That's great, Chlo. Anything that helps._

After they'd finished eating, which took far longer than it should have with all of the active conversations, Chloe decided that she and Max would join her parents in the living room as they watched TV. They were there, just as she knew them.  _Her_  Joyce different than the Joyce in her dream. In Max's other timeline. Suddenly, David shifted on the couch with a look of discomfort and sat forward, digging his hand beneath him. His face only registered muted shock at the beer bottle he'd found. Nothing like anger, but a curious, silly expression that only seemed to say 'busted.'

"Okay, I  _may_  have had some friends over," Chloe admitted, laughing as she shrugged.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Max asked, combing her hand through Chloe's hair as the girl laid on the bed beneath her.

"Uh, you know," she said, "pretty janky. But, I'll admit...I'm so glad to have them home." She made a 'hm' noise. "It's nice to have them back so I can remember just how...real and lucky I am with them. It was a reminder that, no matter what else happens in another timeline, I have them  _now_ and that's pretty great."

_That's a great way of looking at it._

"See that?" Max bent over to give her a kiss. "If we can just keep reminding you that what you have is how things are meant to be, it could feel better." Max gave a tiny smile. "Like grounding."

"Tether me to the floor," Chloe replied with a dry but not unkind tone. "I don't know. I don't know..." She sighed. " _Maybe_ I'll get over this at some point. Maybe. But what about when I dream again? It's just going to reinforce all of this shit. Just...waiting for it to happen again."

"But I'll be here," Max replied. "I'll be here to help. To remind you that I love you. I'll ground you to  _us_. What we have."

"Thank you, Max," she said. "I hope...I hope I can get this under control."

"I know." Max took a deep breath and gripped Chloe against her lovingly. "You will, though. I promise."

It wasn't too long after that that Chloe showed signs of sleepiness, though it was evident the idea of it scared her, which Max of course found reasonable. It had happened two nights in a row. It never did that before. Still, she didn't try to aid in Chloe's attempts to stay awake. She knew the girl needed rest desperately. Instead, she held her until Chloe fell asleep, despite all of her best efforts.

_Good. Try to get some rest._

Max watched her for a while, holding her breath and waiting for her to spring awake in a panic because of another dream. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that this would be something she'd have to worry about every single night. She frowned and kiss the girl's cheek before slipping out of bed. Quietly, as to not disturb Joyce and David, she crept to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

_Strong for her. That's what's important._

Still, without the immediate need to placate Chloe, she began to think about everything. Why were her dreams suddenly different? Why was she getting bloody noses? Why did she get the dreams at all? She hated how much pain, both emotionally and now apparently physically, they put her through. And it was all too stark a reminder of how hard things were when she experienced her own problems a few months ago. That something this drastic was  _still_ happening bothered her greatly. Even more than that, it scared her.

There, safely by herself in the bathroom, she finally removed her armor. She relaxed all of the tightened muscles that forced her to stand tall and comfort Chloe. She sighed out long and slow, thinking about what all of it could mean. Then, once she had been sufficiently submerged in the feedback loop of those thoughts, she broke down in tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Heya! Things have been a bit intense, eh? The next chapter should be after a somewhat decent timeskip, so we'll have to see how everything plays out!
> 
> In other news, I actually compiled a little 'guide' to all of the music references so far in Ouroboros. If that's something you'd be into, you can check that out here -  
>  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1APEZ0PfImAAxCXmxqbdm0S5ZlnFvRZyrOwr-8jcWrxA/edit?usp=sharing
> 
> Also made a CuriousCat! If you've ever had a question for me, you can shoot one (and be anonymous) at curiouscat.me/tomorrowheart Doesn't have to be about Ouroboros, just whatever!
> 
> Think that's it for now. I'll catch you guys for the new chapter!


	54. Two Decades Under The Influence

Chloe didn't even have time to take her phone out of her pocket before she heard Max scream, the noise escalating in volume and accompanied by the pounding of feet on the pavement. Just as she was looking up, Max crashed into her, trapping her against the truck and catapulting herself into a slew of feverish kisses.

_Daaayumn, Max._

"Hey," Chloe said breathlessly as Max finally let go, falling back onto firmly planted feet. Max gave her a beautiful grin.

"Hey yourself," she said, placing her hands on Chloe's cheeks and stealing another deep kiss. "How are you?"

"Um, pretty great now," Chloe responded, slightly slouched over with half-lidded eyes. "That's a hell of a hello."

"Oh yeah?" Max purred, slowly dragging her fingers beneath Chloe's jaw. "You have an interesting concept of hell." Once again, she kissed her, pushing her so that she was wedged between Max and the truck. She whimpered pleasantly as Max bit and pulled on her lip.

_Oh, holy fuck._

"Okay," Chloe giggled, prying Max off of her and holding her by the shoulders, "you need to chill or we're looking at a felony. Public indecency." Max pouted, then smirked.

"It'd be decent," she said, casually waving her hand. "Buuuut fine." She wrapped her arms around Chloe and nestled her cheek into her chest. "So, how do you feel?"

"About the same," Chloe replied. "Maybe...wiser?"

_I leveled up my wisdom stat._

"Sure, babe," Max chuckled, adding a quick nip at her neck. She clapped her hands and smiled. "Okay! You have to come with me!" She took hold of Chloe's sleeve and turned around.

"I mean, I do try to time it," Chloe laughed. Max didn't bother to turn around, but did swing her foot behind her on her next step in an attempt to whack Chloe. "Where we going?"

"Inside?" Max said with a lilt of 'duh.'

_Damn it, it's like smartass fencing._

"Oh, silly me," Chloe said, shaking her head with a roll of the eyes. She followed Max's pep-filled step up to the main campus.

There was something about Blackwell at night that felt almost magical. She had so many memories of  _hating_ this place in broad daylight, but the darkness of night transformed it into something altogether lovely. Instead of school and the constant reminders of her troubles that came with it, she thought of her and Max sneaking around or the late night mischief with her other friends. Things like breaking into the pool or screaming on the roof with Kate. Things like her smoke breaks with Victoria and hiding out under the bleachers with Trevor and the gang. The way they would constantly move from dorm room to dorm room as if the the building was theirs, like it was just on big house full of roommates. When the time came for her to never need to return, she knew she'd actually miss it a bit. It was practically already oozing with nostalgia.

_It's crazy to think that when it's all said and done, this place might have more good memories than bad ones._

"Hey, wait," Max said, coming to a stop in front of the fountain. She looked it up and down contemplatively, then fished around in her pocket. She brought out a penny and handed it to Chloe. "Wanna make a wish?"

"Oh?" Chloe peered into the water, looking over the countless coins glistening from far away light sources. "What do I wish for?"

"That's your call," Max responded. She sat down on the wall of the fountain and skimmed her hand on the water, humming to herself. Chloe held the penny between two fingers as she looked Max over. Her bullet necklace hung loose, dangling above the water as she bent over and she was wearing the purple flannel Chloe had gotten her for Christmas. Her hair was messy and long, with a faded, rosy-blonde streak where a vibrant pink used to be. She was even wearing a pair of black jeans that clung tightly to her legs, an organic tear in the material on her shin from an accident she was too embarrassed to speak about. Chloe let out an involuntary sigh of awe.

_God, I can't believe how wrong I was when I said you didn't have a style. You have EVERY style. How do you make everything look good? You look like a fucking rockstar. Okay...a wish. I guess...I just want things to stay like this?_

She situated the penny on the nail of her thumb, applying pressure with her index finger as she prepared to flick it. Then she made a quiet 'oooh' sound.

_Also! If we could get the macaroni bites back in at work, that'd be awesome too! I mean, definitely focus on the first thing but...if there's any leftover magic afterward..._

She flipped the coin and watched as it spun end over end in an arc, finally plopping into the water with barely a splash. Max clapped and hopped back to her feet.

"So, what'd you wish for?" she asked, bumping into Chloe playfully before continuing on her way to the dorm.

"Psht, like I'd tell you, you little weirdo," Chloe snarked. She hurried behind Max and gave her a solid smack on the ass, eliciting a shrill gasp from the girl.

_Oops, that one was loud. Didn't think I'd make that good of contact._

"Handsy," Max teased. "That was a test, anyway. It won't come true if you tell someone!"

"That sounds like such a scam," Chloe laughed. "Like, maybe nobody's wish ever came true but they don't say anything on the off chance it eventually does." She thought it over. "That's a  _great_ business model, actually. We should get a wishing well."

_And then just repel down every couple of days to collect the change._

"Well, you should have wished for one, then," Max shot back, pulling open the door to the dormitories. She grabbed Chloe by the wrist and dashed forward. "Come on, come on!"

"Gee, I wonder what could  _possibly_ be going on," she said, projecting her voice dramatically as if on stage.

"Oh, shut up," Max giggled, glancing over her shoulder. She slowed to a stop in front of Victoria's room. Chloe perked an eyebrow when she noticed a coffee table and desk pushed against the wall under the window at the end of the hall. Max took an excited breath in, then knocked on the door. Immediately, a choir of 'shhh' could be heard.

_You guys are so bad at this and I love it._

"Come in," Victoria called, her tone bordering on the singsong nature of a Disney princess. Max turned to Chloe and gestured to the door, her eyes crinkled around the edges with delight. Chloe snickered under her breath, then opened it.

She was met by a loud and enthusiastic 'happy birthday!' from the group. Though it was by no means a surprise, she still stood in the doorway, staring dumbly with a big smile. Max gave her an encouraging nudge forward and she stepped into the room. The lighting was dim, most of it coming from strands of fairy lights strung up on each of the walls. There were streamers too, which she could only imagine was a product of Kate's meddling. Music drifted through air from a pair of speakers hooked up to a laptop.

"Wow, guys," she said, "thank you!" Kate skipped toward her happily and blew on a party horn, whacking Chloe in the nose as it unfurled. Laughing, Chloe scooped her up in a big hug and swayed side to side. "Okay," she turned with Kate still in her arms so she could see everyone else, "definitely an F for surprise factor but A+ just for being awesome!"

_God, I love you guys._

"That's a decent average!" Taylor cheered, raising both of her arms in triumph.

"Chloe, can I have my girlfriend back?" Victoria asked, smirking as she crossed her arms. Chloe glanced up at Kate and pursed her lips.

"Nah," she said, turning around and taking a step toward the door. Max jumped in front of her and held her arms out to block her.

"You can steal Kate later," she said, "we have to celebrate!"

"Yeah!" Kate added, trying to hold up a fist in celebration. She wobbled forward without the extra support on Chloe's shoulders. "Woah!" With a snicker, Chloe set her down. Max laughed and closed the door, then escorted Chloe further into the room.

"So, how does it feel to be ancient?" Warren asked, greeting her with a fist bump.

_Yeah, yeah. At least I'm legal, you literal baby._

"Still spry enough to kick your ass," she replied, baring her teeth viciously. "I don't know, not a ton different." She held her hands out. "I mean, I do have a sudden craving for prunes."

_New hobby: stashing sewing supplies into those cookie tins to fuck with people._

"That's a tough break," he said. "Man, two decades around the sun." He tipped his cup at her in a show of respect. Her eyes focused on it and she cooed.

_Oooh la la. I guess I could go for a sip or two._

"My good sir, wherever can I get such a marvelous beverage?" she asked. He snickered and pointed to a collapsible table set up where Victoria's desk used to be. "Jackpot!" She reached beside her and hooked her fingers in Max's collar, dragging her with her to the table.

"Feelin' thirsty?" Max asked, cuddling into her side.

"Parched," Chloe responded deviously. She yanked a red solo cup from the top of the stack and looked over her shoulder. "Who helped move all of her shit out into the hall? Did you make Warren do it all alone?" She looked over the bottle of Jack Daniels analytically and gave herself a satisfied nod.

"I did!" Max laughed. "You should have seen it, we were literally dying. I mean, Warren's our only boy but he's not exactly..." She narrowed her eyes and pointed at him, seizing his attention, "you need gains, bro." He huffed dramatically, then smirked as he turned back to Brooke.

"Wow, I can totally picture that," she said. "Well, at any rate, I appreciate the self-inflicted trauma."

"Anything for you," Max said, kissing Chloe's arm. "I'll let you massage the kink out of my back later."

"That's fair," Chloe chuckled, adding some Coca-Cola to her cup. She felt a hand on her shoulder, then nodded at Courtney as the girl stepped beside her. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing!" Courtney gave her a one-armed hug, since Max was still claiming ownership of Chloe's other side. "Happy birthday!"

"Heh, thank you," Chloe replied. Max leaned around her and scooped up a bottle of hard cider, her fingers writhing as if cartoonishly pickpocketing someone. "Have to admit, this is the most people I've had at a birthday party since...fuck, grade school?"

"I imagine the atmosphere is a little different," Courtney giggled, her eyes focused on Max. Chloe nodded with a smile, palming Max's head and ruffling her hair. "Well, I'm very happy we could be here for it! You deserve a nice day."

_Deserve a nice day... huh._

"Doesn't she, though?!" Max asked, fiercely snatching Chloe into her arms. "Twenty years old! My cradle robbing girlfriend!"

"I guess...I am the old one," Chloe admitted with a chuckle. "You'd never be able to tell."

_Note: Hang out with Frank ASAP to feel less old._

"Age is just a number," Courtney said, trying on her best sagely tone as she held up an index finger. "Beauty is eternal."

"That sounds..." Chloe arched an eyebrow, "like the exact opposite of how that saying is supposed to go. Beauty fades or...some shit?"

"I'm talking like, inside, duh!" Courtney placed a hand on her hip. "You know, your heart beauty!"

"She do got a smoking hot heart," Max agreed, still latched onto Chloe. Courtney rolled her eyes.

"Sure," she said, "that's  _exactly_  what I meant."

Once she finally had her drink the way she preferred, she made her rounds to properly say hi and chat with the rest of the group. Taylor was already a bit tipsy and kept talking about how much she wanted to go ice skating with everyone ever since she dreamt about it the night before. Her use of the word 'like' as filler in her sentences had increased twofold with the alcohol. Then, she moved on to Kate, who was merely giddy to be having the party and talked with wonder about how thankful she was to have Chloe as a friend. Leaving Max with Kate, she circled back to have a better chat with Brooke, being sure to put the extra effort in since she was the one she interacted with least. Then it was Victoria's turn.

"So, thanks for offering your room as sacrifice," Chloe said, sitting next to Victoria on her bed.

"It's no problem. Rather mine than Kate's and," she smirked, "I sort of figured Max's room would be where you two eventually ended up, so it's easier to keep things simple." She took a swig out of her cup. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, of course! I'm with my friends!" Chloe smiled, propping one of her legs over the other. "This is fucking great." Raising her cup to her lips, she peaked over it and looked at Max with something close to bashfulness.

_And Max is just being...so fucking cute. Why...why do I have butterflies?_

"Good," Victoria said, contentedness in her tone. She glanced around her to make sure no one was paying attention, then sighed. "Look, I don't think I've ever actually said it but...I'm really glad we're friends." Chloe turned to her with an open-mouthed smile. "Seriously! This isn't a troll job. I mean, you've been...really cool, you know? It wasn't  _that_ long ago that one of my best friends tried to...kill you." She stopped for a moment to settle down her disgust. "And you've helped me with Kate... Everything got kind of turned around in a good way."

"I have that effect," Chloe laughed. "Thank you, though. Really. I'm happy too." She took a big gulp, finishing off her drink. "So, uh, have you heard anything about Nathan? Or the Prescotts?"

_America's favorite dysfunctional family._

"Not really, no," Victoria responded. "I haven't really tried either. It's kind of..." She closed one eye as if accommodating a headache. "I really like Kate. Thinking about what they did to her...it makes me so fucking sick in my stomach. You can't even imagine."

_Yeah..._

"I have an inkling," Chloe said absentmindedly, then cleared her throat. "But that makes sense, I don't blame you for wanting to torch that bridge to ashes. It's pretty terrible." Chloe dragged her finger around the rim of the empty cup. "They really are a scary bunch. It's like...Jefferson was such a monster, but there's something about the Prescotts that's actually creepy."

"I know what you mean," Victoria responded somberly. Then, she snorted. "What the fuck, this is supposed to be a good time!" She smacked Chloe on the shoulder. "Shut up about sad shit and get more booze."

"Ah," Chloe laughed, standing up from the bed, "you  _are_ an artist!"

* * *

"Yeah, Max and I watched it last month," Chloe said, standing in front of Warren and Brooke who were sitting on the couch. She thought it was cute how Brooke was actually sitting in his lap for a change of pace, since it seemed PDA was somewhat rare for them. "It was decent. Crazy gory and like, Ash wasn't in it but I think it stands on its own."

_Leave out the part that this was our Valentine's Day movie._

"I bet it's not as good as the second one," Warren replied, thinking it over. "But I definitely have to give it a watch." He sat forward with a jolt as he remembered something, jostling Brooke around. "Oh, there's all this buzz about some new horror flick called The Babadook, we should totally check it out."

_Heh, Bababrooke._

"That's a funny name," Chloe snirked, "but yeah, you know I'm down." She reached forward and collected a red strand of Brooke's hair. "You pull this color off so well. It's very badass."

"Thanks," she said, glancing down at the compliment. Then she looked back up, squinting. "Can I have my glasses back?"

"Oh! Shit, yeah," Chloe giggled, taking them off and handing them back to her. "It's concerning that they kind of helped. Maybe my eyes are getting fucked."

_I bet Max would dig the thick rimmed glasses look, though._

"You should get them checked," Brooke responded. Chloe moved her head left and right in reluctant agreement.

"Probably, yeah," she said. "I just hate the thought of having yet another thing to carry around that I'll probably lose."

"Oh my god, babe!" Max came up behind her and slipped a hand under the crook of her armpit. "I love this song!" She went onto her tiptoes and kissed the corner of Chloe's mouth. "Dance with me?"

_...dance?_

"What?" Chloe laughed. "Nobody else is dancing." Max threw her head back and huffed, then pulled Chloe to the center of the room.

"Come on," she said, a bit of pleading in her voice and already swinging her hips to the side. She took Chloe's hands into her own. It didn't take long for Taylor to give a hoot of encouragement and start rocking herself to the music. "What,  _now_  you're going to be shy?" Max teased.

_FINE. It's on._

"Oh, okay," Chloe said, smiling wickedly. She stepped forward and pressed herself against Max. "You want to play that game, eh?"

"Yeah! All the time!" Max shot back, beaming brightly at the girl. She moved against Chloe, then stepped back, closing her eyes to take in the music. Now Kate was tugging on Victoria's hand, trying to coerce her into joining in. Chloe slipped her hand across Max's lower back and dipped in, leaving a slow, breathy kiss on the girl's ear. Max grinned at the contact, then pulled out of Chloe's grasp. As the chorus kicked in, she began jumping in place, her arms raised and head swaying to the music.

" _And I am what I am, a natural disaster!"_ Max sang, grabbing Chloe's hands and hopping close to her so that their noses almost touched.  _"Pick me up at three, send me off to sea and maybe I'll come baaack for ya!"_ She shouted, wearing an enormous smile and staring into Chloe's eyes in a sort of rambunctious serenade. Chloe roped her in closer, feeling her against her body as the girl continued to bounce in place.  _"See, I lost my clothes, I'm skinny dipping..."_ Max winked, giving an extra thrust of her hips against against her lover's thigh as she tangled a hand through blue hair.  _"And I can't understand what I'm aaaaafteeeer!"_

_Fuck, you are so beautiful._

To Max's credit, it seemed she had successfully convinced everyone else in the room to at least  _move_ with the song, as even Warren and Brooke swung left and right on the couch. Chloe closed her eyes, allowing herself to be swallowed by the moment, moving with and against the love of her life, surrounded by the people she cared most about in the world. With an inward, giddy plea, she repeated her wish to the fountain.

* * *

Chloe watched the flames flicker on the candles as the group finished singing to her. They licked back and forth, illuminating the 'happy birthday' lettering on the cake. It was such a surreal feeling, whisking her back to days of innocence. She had forgotten how much she missed them.

"Blow them out before the place burns down," Victoria laughed, though it had a bit of 'no, seriously' attached to it.

_Heh. I'm a twisted firestarter..._

"Sorry," she snickered, sucking in a deep breath and then heaving it onto the flames. They blinked out immediately, releasing a milky strand of smoke that climbed to the ceiling. Everyone around gave a few seconds of solid clapping, then Max grabbed her shoulder and leaned in close to her ear.

"What'd you wish for?" she asked.

"Still testing me?" Chloe smiled and brought her hand up, sliding it through Max's hair. In response, she received a quick kiss on the cheek, with Max seemingly satisfied with her answer. Warren appeared beside her and held out a knife.

"You have to cut it," he said. "Mandatory birthday labor."

_Weeeak._

"Ugh,  _fine,_ " she groaned in jest, taking the knife from him. As she set the blade into the cake, she stopped and turned to Max. "You and Dana didn't happen to bake this, did you?"

"Ohhh shut up," Max laughed. "It's store-bought, you demon."

"Juuuust checkin'," Chloe said, plunging the knife into the cake. She cut through, trying her best to make all of the pieces as even as she could and then distributed them onto tiny, plastic plates. Once everyone had their slice, she took a seat on Victoria's bed next to Max to enjoy her own.

"I like the little cookie parts in the middle," Max said, tapping her fork on the section she was talking about.

"I like  _your_ little cookie parts in the middle," Chloe mumbled as she chewed.

"That doesn't even make sense, I'm not a cake." Max brought the fork from the plate up to Chloe's cheek and prodded her gently, leaving a bit of frosting on the girl's face. "I'm not a baked good."

"Hey," Chloe said, crinkling her brow as she wiped the frosting off, "don't be starting food fights." She chomped down on her next bite with purpose, as if sending a warning. Max raised an eyebrow.

"Don't," she began, dipping her finger in the frosting and dragging it across Chloe's cheek once more, "tell  _me_ what to do."

_GIRL WHAT._

"Excuse me!" Chloe violently dug two fingers into the cake, then smashed the chunk against Max's lips. "I'll fuck you up, you little monster!"

"Oh, wow," Max said, somewhat stunned. "Okay then..." She picked the entire slice of cake off of the plate and lunged at Chloe, cramming it into and around the girl's mouth and nose. Chloe fell backward, cackling wildly as she tried to fight Max off. She grabbed what remained of her own piece and retaliated, swinging her hand up between Max's arms and successfully finding her face. She then threw her weight to the side, slipping from underneath Max and over top of her in one smooth motion. Max squealed in laughter and buried her face in the blankets for protection.

The sound of an 'ahem!' drew both of their attention.

"Guys," Victoria sighed, "what the actual fuck?" Chloe looked at her and blinked, then at everyone else and realized they were all staring with various degrees of amusement. She then looked down at the bed where streaks of frosting and chunks of cake were embedded in the sheets.

_Hm. Uh..._

"Sorry," Chloe said, cringing as she straightened her posture. "We kind of, uh, got carried away..."

"Shit, I'm really sorry, Vic," Max added, taking Chloe's hand as she was pulled into a sitting position. "I started it."

"What?" Victoria scrunched her nose. "I don't...care who started it."

"Right, but it  _was_ Max," Chloe said, baring her teeth in an awkward smile. "We'll wash it for you." Victoria narrowed her eyes and thought it over.

"Okay, but the whole bed set," she responded. "Doesn't make sense to just do the one." Kate came to stand next to Victoria, shaking her head when the girl gave her a devilish wink.

"Woah," Chloe protested, but shut her mouth when Victoria conjured a dramatic pout.

"I guess if you guys don't care," she said with a drawn out sigh, "even though it was your fault..."

_Oh, you drama queen._

"Fine," Chloe said, rolling her eyes, "we'll be your little maids."

"We don't have to like, wear the outfits, right?" Max asked. She brought her hand to her mouth as if in deep thought and gave Chloe a quick look up and down. "Actually, that's fine."

_Down girl._

"Hehe, yesss," Victoria hissed proudly, wringing her hands together. "I'll make sure I drop everything off at your door tomorrow! Don't want to sleep on a...possibly disgusting uncovered dorm bed."

"Um, I mean," Kate said, her eyes slowly straying away from Victoria to the upper corner of the room. "You could, I don't know...just stay with me tonight?" She cleared her throat and yanked her eyes down to the floor, turning pink. "My bed is comfy and has...all of the blankets clean and..."

_Holy shit that's cute._

"Uh..." Victoria's eyes were wide as they moved one by one from every other person in the room. There was an audible gulp as her face became flushed.

"You don't... _have_ to," Kate said quietly. Chloe braced her foot against Victoria's rear and pushed, moving the girl forward a few inches. She pushed again, hoping they'd be understood as advice to say yes. She shot a quick look at Taylor, who held two thumbs up with an impossibly large smile.

_Vicky, I swear to fucking god if you do not cuddle her tonight._

"No, I'd like that," Victoria said. "That'd be cool. It'd be great." She giggled nervously and clapped her hands together. "It'd be really good! A fun time! I'm looking forward to it!"

"You're cute when you're flustered," Kate teased quietly, pecking Victoria on the nose and then turning to go over to Courtney. Victoria spun back around to Max and Chloe.

"Whaaaat just happened?" she asked in a hush.

"I believe you were just thanking us for causing a mess," Chloe said proudly, sticking her tongue out.

The party pushed onward, rising and falling in its level of energy. One moment, they were dancing and laughing, knowing full well they were being much too loud. Then they watched a movie with sincere attentiveness, the only sounds made by involuntary reactions and the clinking and crumpling of drink and food. After, they were revitalized, going through several different drinking games. At one point, Chloe ducked out into the hall to answer a phone call from Frank. She was truly surprised that he even knew her birthday.

Chloe leaned against the wall by the door while she watched the current round of the latest game, waiting patiently for her turn. Max came up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," she whispered, her eyes crackling with mischief, "come on."

"Oh? Where to?" Chloe asked. Max only shrugged, then slowly backed toward the door. She opened it, then beckoned Chloe with a hurried wave. Without a moment's hesitation, she followed her.

* * *

"So, did I just ditch on my own birthday party?" Chloe asked with a smirk as they walked down the hall.

"Sure did!" Max responded, linking their arms together. "We can go back in a little if you want. I just wanted some alone time."

"Well, I'm not one to turn that down," she said. "Man, I'm feeling that booze. How about you?"

_Definitely not smashed but...at just the right level of buzzed._

"Yeah, I'm a bit floaty," Max giggled. When they reached the door leading outside, she heaved it open with flourish. "Did you see Warren's nose all red? I thought that only happened in cartoons."

"Dude looked like Rudolph," Chloe laughed. She breathed deeply through her nose and held one arm out, savoring the cool night air. Spring had started early and, truthfully, she was glad to be done with winter.

_Goodbye, heavy jackets. Get fucked._

"Isn't this place so different at night time?" Max asked, straying off the path and into the already green grass with a bit of a swagger.

"I was actually thinking that earlier." Chloe came up behind her and took hold of her waist, resting her chin on the girl's shoulder. "I've noticed everything feels a bit more..." she pursed her lips, searching for the right word, "mystical at night."

_Does that sound drunk?_

"Uh huh." Max said it like she might know something Chloe didn't. She pointed at a small congregation of fireflies hovering around each other in a noble attempt at a swarm. "You know something weird?"

"What's that?" Chloe asked, following her gesture.

"Fireflies don't usually come out until it's much warmer," she said. Chloe gave a casual 'huh' in response. "But, know what's even weirder?" She turned to Chloe.

"I don't," she said, genuinely curious.

"Oregon doesn't..." Max turned back to the lights clumsily flying around, "Oregon doesn't  _have_ fireflies. At least, not like this." She looked at Chloe expectantly.

_Pfft, what?_

"But...they're right there, Max," Chloe chuckled, gesturing at them. "They're everywhere."

"Yes," she nodded, "but only...here. In Arcadia Bay."

"Come on," Chloe cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes, "that can't actually be true. You're fucking with me."

"Seriously, I'm not," Max insisted. "Warren was telling me about it, I didn't believe him at first either. I guess there's some like, in the mountains or wherever? But here they're...well, like you said, everywhere."

"That...uh, seems like kind of a big deal. You know, ecologically," Chloe said, looking back at the flying lights.

"Heh, yeah, you'd think, right?" Max snickered. She shrugged, then took hold of Chloe's hand again as she began to walk. "I don't know, I just think it's interesting. Arcadia Bay is fucking cray cray."

_Award for understatement of the night goes to..._

"It sure is," Chloe agreed. Max was quiet for a moment as she wandered aimlessly, her thumb moving rhythmically against the back of Chloe's hand. Chloe was spellbound, drinking in every look and movement of the girl.

_What is wrong with me tonight? I'm so...nervous._

"Do you know what Arcadia means?" Max asked, breaking the silence.

"Uh, no. Not really," she responded. "That saint or whatever that was a soldier?" She took note of the symphonic insect chirps and calls that came from everywhere.

"That's Joan of Arc," Max laughed.

_Durr._

"Right," Chloe chuckled. "Then what is it?"

"So, it's like this...beautiful, uncorrupted place, right?" Max said. Upon receiving a nod from Chloe, she continued. "Kind of like some Garden of Eden stuff. Just this perfect patch of nature."

"That's...huh..." Chloe shook her head. "I can't tell if that's fitting or a total oxymoron."

_Arcadia Bay, the gold standard of nature? Right..._

"Mhm." Max suddenly let go of her and took a few quick steps before jumping in the air and clapping her hands. She returned to Chloe and opened her hands enough that she could see inside. A firefly crawled around docilely, lighting up every few seconds.

"It's pretty," Chloe said, staring down at the bug. "Where...like, where is all this coming from?"

"I dunno, it just came up in conversation with Warren," she replied. She held her arm out and the firefly took flight. She took Chloe's palm in her hand, tracing the Fate Line so lightly that it tickled. "Hey," her voice was quiet but curious, "have I ever told you about the doe?"

_The doe? Like...the one I've seen?_

"I don't think so," Chloe said, her brow furrowing with a tint of unease.

"When I got my powers, I started to just see this...doe," Max said. "But it didn't look quite right. It was like it was made of...static? I always saw it in my weird, space out visions." She moved her head side to side. "Except once in the junkyard. I tried to take a picture of it..."

_Wait..._

"Like the one I saw at the cemetery..." Chloe cleared her throat. "I saw it there again when I had the dream about Dad." Max quirked an eyebrow.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, it...it looks weird." She scanned around her slowly. "What...the fuck is that? What does that mean?" Max giggled and gave a wide smile.

"No idea! As usual!" She shook her head. "Samuel told me it was my," she wriggled her fingers, "spirit animal, but I mean, come on." She nuzzled into Chloe's chest.

_Of course._

"Alright, so this is fucking weird. How...how drunk are we?" Chloe snarked, kissing Max on the top of the head.

"I don't think very," she answered. "I don't know, it's just...pretty crazy, huh?"

"Yeah, definitely," Chloe replied. Max sighed dreamily, then took her hand once again as they continued to walk.

"Just reminded me when you said mystical," Max said. "I doubt it is...I think, but it's weird." She spun around and brought Chloe's hand to her lips, then turned back around just as quickly. The butterfly feeling bounced around in her stomach.

_Speaking of mystical..._

"You know," Chloe began, "you're very Manic Pixie Dream Girl tonight."

"Am I?" Max asked casually.

" _Yes,_ " Chloe responded, "you have me all...I don't even know. Stupid."

"Don't call yourself stupid," Max chided. "Anyway, wouldn't it be Maxic Pixie Dream Girl? I like that better."

"You don't even know you're doing it, do you?" Chloe's eyes rolled upward in exasperation.

"I'm not trying to do anything, so no," Max said.

_You're so frustratingly attractive, AGH!_

"Fair..." Chloe sighed, "fair enough."

Max led Chloe through along the walkway to the main campus, then to one of the picnic tables. She hopped up onto the table, planting her feet on the bench.

"So, how did you sleep last night?" she asked.

"Like a log," Chloe said. "No dreams." Max sighed and nodded in relief.

"That's good," she said. "Haven't had one since the night you told me everything, right?"

"Nope." Chloe sat on the bench, propping her elbows behind her on the table. "I would have told you. Promise." She bounced her heel against the grass a few times, creating a shallow indent. "You know, I realized I haven't had any other dreams since we came back. Like, the normal kind?" She looked back at Max. "At least, not that I remember."

"That's...well, that's another interesting bit of information," Max said. "We'll add it to our bulletin board."

"We're running out of room on that thing," Chloe responded. "On our mental bulletin board."

"Well, you're not wrong," Max said. She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Hey, so... I was wondering..."

"Mhm?" Chloe turned around in her seat and supported her chin on her fist. Max sat forward and dug into her back pocket, making a contemplative sound.

"I took some photos, I wanted to get your thoughts on them." She pulled out a small stack of Polaroid photographs, crinkled and bent from being sat on.

_Oooh, Max pics! My favorite._

"Oh, yeah, of course," Chloe answered. "I mean, you know I'm going to think they're great but...I'd love to see them."

"Okay, awesome," Max said with a smile, placing one of them down on the table for Chloe to see. "They're prototypes, that's why I didn't mind them bending." It was just a photo of the letter 'P,' taken from a sign or poster in just the right way that none of the rest of the word was visible. "It's like, I was kind of going for this series thing, right? Be a little ambitious." She held her hands out proudly for emphasis.

_Argh, I know this is a thing but I can't tell what it's...supposed to mean._

"Um, yeah," Chloe said, "I have to admit, I don't really...know what this one's about. It's the letter 'P.'"

"Yeah, it's a little abstract," Max agreed. She placed another photo down next to it, this time the letter 'R.'

"Oooh, it's like hangman," Chloe said with a smirk. "Can I guess?"

"Shoot," Max encouraged.

"Is it going to say 'Price?'" she asked.

"Nope," Max shook her head. She set a third photo down, now of the letter 'O.'

"Pro..." Chloe elongated the word, thinking it over. "Prooooo... Hm."

_Professional wrestling? Propane? Pro...bono?_

"Here, I'll help," Max snickered, setting down the last photo. Chloe quirked her head, her lips moving as she read the word.

"Proam?" Chloe asked. Her eyes grew big when she realized. "Oh fuck, wait," she grinned, "prom!"

"Prom!" Max repeated, sliding off of the table and onto the seat next to Chloe. "It's next month...and I figured, you know."

"You're asking me to go to the prom with you?" Chloe asked, the smile audible in her tone and warmth of both love and alcohol cradling her body.

"Uh huh," Max said, scooting closer to her. "If you'd be so kind as to take me..."

_Well, yes! Obviously!_

"Yes, of course I'll take you! Yeah! Fuck yeah!" Chloe laughed, pulling Max into a hug. "That's so cute and awesome, we'll crash that shit so hard! Hell yes!"

"Um," Max giggled softly into Chloe's ear, her breath lapping sensitively, "I kind of assumed it'd be a yes. Those were two different statements." Chloe pulled back and narrowed her eyes in confusion. Max simply shook her head and clawed into Chloe's shirt tightly. "Take. Me."

* * *

There was a loud thud as Chloe fell into the wall, Max pressing on her ravenously. They engaged in a brief battle of control, and then it was Max slamming into the wall. Chloe's hands snaked beneath her shirt, scrambling along her stomach until they kneading pleadingly at Max's breasts. The girl released a petite moan, then braced her foot behind her. She bounded forward and crashed into Chloe, attacking her neck with her teeth. They took a few halfhearted steps down the hall before they found the opposite wall with a bang. By this point, it was fairly obvious that they were making a good bit of noise and Chloe started laughing.

"Come on," she commanded, hooking her fingers within Max's waistline and tugging her down the dorm hallway.

"Don't get bossy with me," Max shot back, taking a quick step to lessen the resistance and grabbed Chloe so that they tumbled softly to the floor. "I like to take my time," she said, straddling the girl.

"You're driving me actually fucking crazy," Chloe said, only managing a word or two between each kiss.

"Oh yeah?" Max asked, drifting her hand along Chloe's leg.

" **Yes.** " Chloe summoned all of her strength and sat upright, catching Max from falling backwards. She slipped her knee beneath her and pushed herself to her feet with Max in her arms.

"I like when you carry me," Max said happily, dragging her finger across Chloe's lips.

"I bet you do," Chloe replied, making her way down the hall. When she finally reached Max's room, she set the girl down in front of the door and reached around her to open it. Gently, she placed a palm on Max's chest and pushed, causing her to step back into the room. Chloe glanced down the hallway, then grinned wolfishly as she ripped her shirt over her head, tossing it in Max's face. She stalked forward, hooking her foot on the door and swinging it backward, slamming it shut.

"The red lace," Max said, casually pointing at Chloe's bra, "I  _like_  that one."

"I know you do," Chloe responded. She stepped closer to Max and slid her finger under the shoulder of her flannel, slowly moving it to the side until it slid down her arm. She did the same to the other, then tugged it off completely.

"Hang on," Max said, slipping teasingly away from Chloe and gliding over to her laptop. After a moment, music started and she turned back around. "Have I ever told you how in love with you I am?" she asked as she slid one foot against the other, stepping out of her shoes.

_Please do it again._

"I could always go for a reminder," Chloe said. Max giggled and nodded expectantly, then jerked her shirt over her head.

"Always, huh?" Max asked, dancing toward her as she unbuttoned her jeans.

"Always," Chloe repeated, losing her patience and snatching Max by the wrist. She guided her to the bed and pushed her down onto it.

"I like when you get all predatory," Max said, batting her lashes.

"And I like when you don't have these," Chloe responded with a bit of a growl, pulling Max's pants by the ankles. The girl arched her back to help with the process.

"Yeah?" Max quickly got to her knees and wrapped her arms around Chloe, undoing the clasp of her bra. "I'm thinking..." She eased her fingers around Chloe's nipple and pulled gently, causing the girl's knees to quake, "that we should  _really_ get your birthday celebration started."

"Okay," Chloe said, sounding a lot more nervous than she even knew she felt.

_I can't believe you can do this to me after all this time._

"Okay," Max confirmed, baring her teeth as she went in for a kiss.

* * *

"So," Chloe said, kicking a tiny stone across the the parking lot as they walked to the shore "what do you think you'll take pictures of?"

"I don't know," Max said, looking down at the digital camera in her hands. "Everything, I guess?"

"Even me?" Chloe spun around, flashing an innocent smile.

"Probably mostly of you," Max giggled. "You'll be my, um, muse? I think that's what it's called."

"I can do that!" Chloe trotted over to the end of the parking lot and hopped down into the sand. "Take one of me with the sunset!"

"Okay!" Max held the camera up, clicking on the arrow buttons to find the settings she preferred. "You should do a pose or something."

"Hmm..." Chloe looked around her, then ran to pick up a branch. She held it out like a sword and crouched at her knees, raising her other hand above her head. "How about this? I'm like a swordsman. I chop up bad guys."

"That's perfect," Max said, nibbling her lip as she focused the shot. She pressed the button, summoning an artificial shutter sound from the camera and capturing the image of Chloe. "You look really cool."

"Thanks," Chloe replied, "I bet I could beat anyone."

"With a stick?" Max asked, joining her friend on the shore.

"If I had to," Chloe answered matter-of-factly. "You have to work with what you got." She 'hmm'd' then dropped to her knees, touching the stick to the sand, and began writing. When she was finished, the writing read 'MC + CP.'

"That makes it look like we're dating," Max chuckled. Chloe scowled.

"Nuh uh! It's a contract! If I'm going to be your muse thing, we need to have it in writing," Chloe said, pointing the stick at Max.

"I guess that's true," Max said, thinking it over. "How long does it last?"

"What?" Chloe snorted, getting to her feet and locking arms with Max. "Forever, of course."

"Oh," Max said as if she should've known. She tucked the camera into her pocket as they walked further down the beach toward the waves. "Yeah, forever sounds good."

* * *

Chloe awoke, but this time without a start. She simply stared above her into the darkened ceiling. The slow rise and fall of Max's body against hers felt like absolute heaven, and she moved as carefully as she could to be able to see the girl. It suddenly all made sense. Just like when Joyce and David came back and just like how being with everyone earlier in the night had reaffirmed bits and pieces of her torn up mind, she now understood why she felt so nervous around Max all night. Without realizing it was happening, she fell in love with her all over again.

She knew she wasn't out of the woods yet with the dreams, but she was at least finding solace in the truth that everyone and everything was 'right.' There, sleeping soundly within her arms was the girl she was meant to be with. She kissed Max on the forehead and whispered that she loved her before closing her eyes and returning to sleep.


	55. Bonus: Texts #5 - Chloe Price Edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Time for another round of text messages! I figured since we've been so Chloe-centric these past few chapters, why not take a peek at what her texting habits are like? Anyway, hope you enjoy! Next chapter coming soon!

**Chloe:** good morning love!  
 **Max:** mmmmph no morning yet  
 **Chloe:** bitch it's like 10:30 ive been at work for hours  
 **Max:** Don't kinkshame my sleepiness!  
 **Chloe:** right  
 **Chloe:** u know how hot the dulcet tones of your snoring gets me  
 **Max:**  I'm going back to bed.

* * *

**Chloe:** omfg  
 **Warren:** What happened?  
 **Chloe:** i did some shit with ac and this mole man  
 **Chloe:** he popped up and yelled at me  
 **Warren:** Oh, yeah. That's Mr. Resetti.  
 **Chloe:** how did he know!?  
 **Chloe:** im so scared  
 **Chloe:** i pulled the blinds closed  
 **Warren:** Mr. Resetti sees everything, Chloe.  
 **Chloe:**  noooooo

* * *

**Victoria:** How's the hangover?  
 **Chloe:** im wearing sunglasses inside  
 **Chloe:** didnt know i even owned sunglasses  
 **Victoria:** oh MY god  
 **Victoria:**  YOU TOOK THEM

* * *

**Courtney:** Sooo when would you like to do your hair?  
 **Chloe:** im free p much every day after work  
 **Chloe:** its easier to work around your schedule  
 **Courtney:** fab! We can do it on Weds?  
 **Chloe:** ya. Ill bring the stuff.  
 **Courtney:** You make it sound like a drug deal.  
 **Chloe:** o i can bring the hair stuff too

* * *

**Chloe:** pampkin  
 **Kate:** Hi Chloe!  
 **Chloe:** hows tricks?  
 **Chloe:** lol  
 **Chloe:** hows VICKS?  
 **Kate:** Good and good!  
 **Chloe:** i might start calling her vaporub  
 **Kate:** I'm sure she won't object to that at all!  
 **Chloe:** she better  
 **Chloe:**  i dont have time to be shooting my snark load in vain  
 **Kate:** Your load?  
 **Chloe:** semen  
 **Kate:** Oh...  
 **Kate:**  Well, okay then!

* * *

**Max:** Hey, what's the word on dinner?  
 **Chloe:** eh idc. what are you in the mood for?  
 **Max:** Doesn't matter to me, you can pick.  
 **Chloe:** jimmy johns?  
 **Max:** Mmn. Nah.  
 **Chloe:** ok. Chinese?  
 **Max:** We just had that a few days ago.  
 **Chloe:** ok... how about some soup from panera?  
 **Max:** Ehhh. Idk. I'm not really in a soup mood?  
 **Chloe:** hey babe?  
 **Max:** Yeah?  
 **Chloe:**  im going to strangle you

* * *

**Chloe:** dana what up  
 **Dana:** Hey Chloe! Nm honestly.  
 **Dana:** What are u up to?  
 **Chloe:** im bored at work. u and trevor stop by?  
 **Dana:** mmmm that does sound good!  
 **Dana:** Swing by in an hour or so?  
 **Chloe:**  yes dope! see you soon

* * *

**Chloe:** what are you doing for spring break?  
 **Victoria:** Sigh. I don't know.  
 **Victoria:** I think my parents want me to come home.  
 **Chloe:** u know, me and max will be in seattle too  
 **Chloe:** we can hang out if you want  
 **Victoria:** Really? that'd be cool.  
 **Victoria:** your lucky. I wish I could bring Kate.  
 **Chloe:** you could smuggle her in your luggage  
 **Victoria:** "Oh no, Mr. TSA agent. That's not a person. It's just my life sized Barbie doll."  
 **Chloe:**  now with lifelike cavity search functionality!

* * *

**Chloe:** hey have u heard that song thats like  
 **Chloe:** im made of garbage masturbate  
 **Max:** Wat  
 **Chloe:** those might not be the lyrics  
 **Chloe:** its catchy though im trying to figure out what it is  
 **Max:** Why don't you just Google it?  
 **Chloe:** so anyway, how are you?  
 **Max:** Nice.

* * *

**Justin:** you were not lying about warren being smart  
 **Justin:** i got an A on my test  
 **Chloe:** NICE! congrats dude!  
 **Justin:** i wish I had a fridge to hang it on  
 **Chloe:** we can post them up all over around the school!  
 **Justin:**...i miss Rach.  
 **Chloe:** yeah...  
 **Chloe:** me too.

* * *

**Warren:** Hey so...have you had any more dreams?  
 **Chloe:** 2 but they were okay. no zap zap  
 **Warren:** That's good. I hope they're done.  
 **Chloe:**  i do too. i really really do.

* * *

**Max:** Another awesome photography class in the books!  
 **Max: *** flex*  
 **Chloe:** o baby  
 **Chloe:** u have a permit for those guns?  
 **Max:** No, but I did place first.  
 **Chloe:**? in what?  
 **Max:** The arms race  
 **Chloe:** OHHHHHH  
 **Chloe:** MYYYYY  
 **Chloe:**  no

* * *

**Taylor:** I have a question for u.  
 **Taylor:** have you gotten a lot of Price is Right jokes?  
 **Taylor:** i would like to make some but only if its not old  
 **Chloe:** wow no what is the price is right?  
 **Chloe:** ive never even heard of that before  
 **Chloe:** is it a restaurant? an HBO series?  
 **Chloe:** ive literally never had those words said to me before  
 **Taylor:** I WAS JUST ASKING FUCK

* * *

**Chloe:** YO WHERE YO BOOBS AT  
 **Max:** Under my shirt.  
 **Max:** They don't run errands or go for walks?  
 **Chloe:** ok im asking where you are in chloe speak  
 **Chloe:** i dont actually think they detach and gallivant  
 **Max:**  Lol I'm in the chemistry lab with Warren.

* * *

**Trevor:** chloe priceee whats good?  
 **Chloe:** nothin man, just hanging out  
 **Trevor:** word.  
 **Trevor:** u down for bleachers later?  
 **Chloe:** does a whale shit in the ocean?  
 **Trevor:** i mean  
 **Trevor:** probably?  
 **Chloe:**  yes trevor. the answers yes.

* * *

**Frank:** When is Maxs bday?  
 **Chloe:** september, why?  
 **Frank:** just thought of something I could give her  
 **Frank:** Hopefully I remember by then  
 **Chloe:** is it pompidou?  
 **Frank:** It is not.  
 **Chloe:**  because shed love that

* * *

**Max:** Joyce made cupcakes and I am alive.  
 **Chloe:** wait, youre at my house eating cupcakes?  
 **Chloe:** while im at work?  
 **Max:** Uh huh  
 **Max:** Kate's here too!  
 **Chloe:**  yo what the fuck

* * *

**Chloe:** waaaaaahren  
 **Warren:** chlooooooey  
 **Chloe:** max and i just finished cowboy beep boop  
 **Warren:** Awesome! What'd you think?  
 **Chloe:** it was so rad. i want to BE spike  
 **Warren:** Don't we all.

* * *

**Max:** I put my name in the Wu-Tang name generator  
 **Chloe:** lmao what is it?  
 **Max:** Phantom Lover  
 **Chloe:** holy SHIT that is badass  
 **Chloe:** kinda sad in a too real way but  
 **Chloe:** so fucking good. whats mine?  
 **Max:** HAHAHAHAHA  
 **Chloe:** what?  
 **Max:** LAZY-ASSED DESTROYER  
 **Chloe:** what  
 **Chloe:** the fuck  
 **Max:** BABE I AM CRYING  
 **Chloe:** dude  
 **Chloe:** im so fucking distraught

* * *

**Kate:** Hey, Chloe?  
 **Chloe:** yes sunshine?  
 **Kate:** Um, I was wondering something.  
 **Chloe:** sure, whats up?  
 **Kate:** How do you know when you're supposed to...do more?  
 **Chloe:** what do you mean?  
 **Kate:** In a relationship...  
 **Chloe:** okay wait  
 **Chloe:** are u asking about like  
 **Chloe:** sex things?  
 **Kate:** A little bit :/  
 **Chloe:** wow ok  
 **Chloe:** thats... i guess you sometimes just know?  
 **Chloe:** i mean, you could ask.  
 **Kate:** Is that what you did with Max?  
 **Chloe:** no  
 **Chloe:** no no no  
 **Chloe:** listen. do not do things how i do them  
 **Chloe:** like in general  
 **Kate:** So...ask her?  
 **Chloe:** maybe?  
 **Chloe:** wow im going to be such a bad parent

* * *

**Chloe:** david says its warm enough that we can paint the house!  
 **Max:** Oh! That's going to be so fun! We should wear denim overalls.  
 **Chloe:** backwards hats.  
 **Max:** YES! We will look so handy.

* * *

**Dana:** so we're probably going dress shopping sometime this week.  
 **Dana:** It'll be a fun girl's day kind of thing.  
 **Chloe:** ffffuck i forgot i have to wear a dress  
 **Dana:** You don't HAVE to. You can wear a two piece suit or something if you want  
 **Chloe:** ill have to look and see  
 **Chloe:** honestly both options suck dick  
 **Chloe:** cant i just wear idk a snuggie?  
 **Dana:** Okay. As part of the counsel planning for this thing, no.  
 **Dana:** No you cannot wear a snuggie.  
 **Chloe:** what if i bedazzle it? roll around in glitter?  
 **Dana:** YOURE COMING WITH US WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT

* * *

**Chloe:** spring allergies are already acting up  
 **Max:** Aw, I didn't know you had allergies.  
 **Max:** Poor thing :(  
 **Max:** What are you allergic to?  
 **Chloe:** im allergic to deez  
 **Max:** Get the fuck away from me.  
 **Chloe:** DEEZ NUTS  
 **Max:** I didn't even fall for it!  
 **Max:** I won't allow a repeat of the Updog Fiasco of 2014!

* * *

**Joyce:** Honey, when you get home can you do the dishes for me?  
 **Chloe:** siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh  
 **Joyce:** Chloe.  
 **Chloe:**  lol im joking. yeah i gotcha

* * *

**Victoria:** study group tonight?  
 **Max:** UGH  
 **Max:** Kay.  
 **Kate:** Yeah!  
 **Victoria:** Ok, lets say 7?  
 **Chloe:** sounds good, ill be there  
 **Victoria:** Didn't mean to include your number.  
 **Chloe:** r you uninviting me?  
 **Chloe:** ok...fine, i guess.  
 **Chloe:** ill just...chill by myself  
 **Chloe:** its cool i mean i dont like learning anyway  
 **Chloe:**  i can just get an early night...  
 **Kate:** :c  
 **Kate:** You are re-invited Chloe.  
 **Victoria:** Katie.  
 **Chloe:** nice! okay, ill be a good student  
 **Max:**  Just for the record, she's sitting next to me cackling like a hyena.

* * *

**Chloe:** im hella wiped out  
 **Chloe:** today was a bad day for it  
 **Chloe:** i didnt even know rachel  
 **Chloe:** thats insane  
 **Max:** Come over when you're done babe  
 **Max:** I'll work through it with you, okay?  
 **Chloe:** ok. thank you  
 **Max:** Of course, I'll see you soon.  
 **Max:**  I love you.

* * *

**Chloe:** hey dorkus, you want a morning shift tomorrow?  
 **Frank:** Yeah, I can do that. What's up?  
 **Chloe:** Pete's wife has to get a procedure done so he'd prefer to be there.  
 **Frank:** Cool, tell him I'm on it.  
 **Chloe:** pluuuus ILL BE THERE!  
 **Frank:** inmates running the asylum  
 **Chloe:** fuck yeah we are!

* * *

**Chloe:** whats up DICKtoria  
 **Victoria:** nothing  
 **Victoria:** You fucking bitch.  
 **Chloe:** i was at least creative  
 **Victoria:** yeah yeah  
 **Victoria:** Wanna chill?  
 **Chloe:**  yeah omw

* * *

**Abigail:** Hi Chloe, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you.  
 **Chloe:** never! whats going on little one?  
 **Abigail:** Umm...  
 **Abigail:** I was wondering if you and Max wanted to come to the carnival?  
 **Abigail:** My parents won't be there!  
 **Abigail:** And Kate already said she's come with Victoria!  
 **Abigail:** And it'll be fun, I promise! They have games! And rides!  
 **Chloe:** we have a carnival?  
 **Abigail:** It's the next town over.  
 **Chloe:** is it like one of those carnivals they carry around on trucks?  
 **Abigail:** Yeah...  
 **Chloe:**  lol sick. yeah ill ask max.

* * *

**Max:** What is your opinion on guacamole?  
 **Max:** Yes? No?  
 **Chloe:** err its okay? why?  
 **Max:** I don't know, just curious.  
 **Chloe:** is that real? where did that come from?  
 **Max:** Why are you hounding me like this?  
 **Max:** Why are you questioning the way my brain works?  
 **Max:**  Fuck. I think my ADD is showing.

* * *

**Chloe:** i was thinking more like  
 **Chloe:** okay so picture a monster truck  
 **Chloe:** but its a bike, like it just has the two tires  
 **Taylor:** but then youd need this giant kickstand  
 **Taylor:** And how would you even stop? You can't put your foot down.  
 **Chloe:** fuck youre right  
 **Chloe:** alright, back to the drawing board.  
 **Taylor:** Don't worry, we'll figure this out eventually.  
 **Taylor:** I promise.

* * *

**David:** It was nice to be able to get some lunch with you today.  
 **Chloe:** yea, it was! we should do it more often.  
 **Chloe:** i still think reo speedwagon is better than bto tho  
 **David:**  Our relationship still needs some work.

* * *

**Max:** So, how's the experiment going?  
 **Chloe:** its ok. she didnt mess up so far.  
 **Max:** Well, that's good at least!  
 **Chloe:** gotta be honest itd be cool to not have to do it myself anymore  
 **Max:** Yeah, you like...  
 **Max:** It looks like you committed Smurf genocide every time.  
 **Chloe:** thats actually what that is  
 **Chloe:** im very spotless with the dye

* * *

**Chloe:** k so ive been playing a bit on my own  
 **Warren:** Okay. We'll have to catch up but it's NBD.  
 **Chloe:** i did a dungeon with some randos  
 **Warren:** Very good! How'd it go?  
 **Chloe:** okay look  
 **Chloe:** i know im new at the game  
 **Chloe:** but these people were noobs for reals  
 **Warren:** Congrats. You're officially an MMO player.

* * *

**Chloe:** mom wants you to come for dinner  
 **Chloe:** shes making a big ham  
 **Max:** She's cooking you!?  
 **Chloe:** first of all  
 **Chloe:** im docking points for literally ancient slang  
 **Max:** Fair.  
 **Chloe:** second of all  
 **Chloe:** we dont endorse cannibalism in this household  
 **Max:** UGH what am I even dating you for?  
 **Max:** Spring Break at my parents' place is going to be so awkward.  
 **Chloe:** really adds a new meaning to 'do you want a leg or a thigh?'  
 **Max:** I'm a breast fan, personally.  
 **Chloe:** im aware

* * *

**Warren:** We all good for movie night?  
 **Chloe:** hellll yeah son  
 **Brooke:** I'm ready. Did you decide on a movie?  
 **Warren:** Not yet, I thought we could figure it out when we get together.  
 **Brooke:** Okay :)  
 **Brooke:** I recently saw online that Source Code is supposed to be good.  
 **Brooke:** Apparently a pretty fresh take on time travel.  
 **Max:** I heard that movie sucks  
 **Chloe:** yea its really bad its so bad brooke youll throw up  
 **Warren:** Haha yeah let's do something else.  
 **Brooke:**  Wow. Okay.

* * *

**Max:** Hey, checking up.  
 **Chloe:** doing ok. still confused but  
 **Chloe:** yanno  
 **Max:** I know, baby.  
 **Max:** I'm sorry about all of this.  
 **Chloe:** its not your fault  
 **Chloe:** do you think hitler was a good dude in another reality?  
 **Max:**  Don't...mix Godwin's Law with your existential crisis.

* * *

**Chloe:** ok, ive thought about it  
 **Kate:** About what?  
 **Chloe:** the...uh first base thing  
 **Kate:** First base? Like baseball?  
 **Kate:** OH  
 **Kate:** What do you think?  
 **Chloe:** do u know what bunting is?  
 **Kate:** Yes.  
 **Chloe:** youre going to bunt  
 **Kate:** What does...that mean?  
 **Chloe:** its...i mean, its pretty self explanatory  
 **Kate:** Chloe, it's really not.  
 **Chloe:** okay. its...its like ur going to bunt it  
 **Chloe:** and u may get out, and thats okay  
 **Chloe:** but as long as your attentive and respectful  
 **Chloe:** u might just be safe  
 **Kate:** I'm so confused.  
 **Chloe:**  i uh...dont play a lot of sports

* * *

**Chloe:** my flag boy and yo flag boy  
 **Max:** Sittin' by the fiyah  
 **Chloe:** my flag boy said to yo flag boy  
 **Max:** IM GONNA SET YOUR FLAG ON FIYAH  
 **Chloe:**  if i played baseball, thatd be my up to bat song  
 **Max:** What is it with you and baseball today?

* * *

**Dana:** What are you and max doing after she graduates?  
 **Chloe:** what do u mean?  
 **Dana:** like...are you worried at all about...yknow  
 **Dana:** Staying together?  
 **Chloe:** no, weve got it planned out. shes taking a gap year and well stay here.  
 **Chloe:** are you nervous about u and trev?  
 **Dana:** A...little. I really, really like him. I just don't want to be the stereotypical high school sweethearts.  
 **Chloe:** this seems like a big thing u guys need to talk about  
 **Chloe:** figure out what each of you wants from the future  
 **Chloe:** he really likes u too. fuck, he loves u. like legit.  
 **Dana:** Yeah, it's mutual. I'll talk to him.  
 **Dana:** thanks Chloe  
 **Chloe:**  anytime

* * *

**Chloe:** so this prom thing  
 **Chloe:** think i might get lucky afterward?  
 **Max:** Because you don't "get lucky" on a regular basis.  
 **Chloe:** i was ASKING if u were going to take me to get mickey ds after  
 **Chloe:** get your mind out of the gutter  
 **Chloe:** you freak  
 **Chloe:** you deviant  
 **Max:** Jesus, sorry. I'll get you your McDonald's.  
 **Max:** And I guess not fuck you anymore?  
 **Chloe:** wow hang the fuck on

* * *

**Chloe:** abby asked if we wanted to go to the carnival with her!  
 **Kate:** lol I figured she might  
 **Kate:** To be honest, I think she wants to look cool hanging out with older people.  
 **Kate:** Especially you and Max. You "look" cool.  
 **Chloe:** aw, thats kind of adorable.  
 **Chloe:** u think i look cool?  
 **Kate:** Yep!  
 **Chloe:** yussss

* * *

**Chloe:** i mean its cool if u keep quiet but  
 **Chloe:** I LIKE SINGING  
 **Chloe:** thats stuck in my head  
 **Max:** You're going to get it stuck in mine.  
 **Max:** They call that an earworm.  
 **Chloe:** thats a horrible name  
 **Chloe:** thats so gross  
 **Chloe:** i dont want worms in my ears  
 **Max:** All wriggly.  
 **Max:** Pooping, probably.  
 **Chloe:** i need a q tip  
 **Max:** AND DONT GO BLAMING YOUR KNOWLEDGE  
 **Max:**  ON SOME FRUIT YOU ATE

* * *

**Chloe:** hey did u want to come hang with trevor and justin?  
 **Chloe:** were heading over in a few  
 **Warren:** Yeah, sure!  
 **Warren:** Wait, are you guys going to be...smoking?  
 **Chloe:** i pictured you actually looking around b4 you typed that  
 **Warren:** I did.  
 **Chloe:** and theres a decent chance they at least will be  
 **Chloe:** u dont have to come if that makes you uncomfortable  
 **Warren:** Please, with as many times as you've sent me on snack runs? I'm used to it.  
 **Chloe:** holy shit those bugles made me want to cry they were so good  
 **Warren:**  Yeah. Just knock when you're ready.

* * *

**Chloe:** holy shit i just had such a blast from the past  
 **Trevor:** what's that?  
 **Chloe:** BETTER THAN BETTER THAN  
 **Chloe:** ME OF COOOURSE YOUR ALWAYS RIGHT  
 **Chloe:** YOURE ALWAYS ON THE BALL  
 **Trevor:** holy SHIT  
 **Trevor:** man we listened to that cd so much  
 **Chloe:** i know! i have to show max  
 **Chloe:** "see sweetheart, this is what they call post hardcore"  
 **Trevor:** its totally her style

* * *

**Max:** Hey  
 **Chloe:** hey  
 **Max:** Guess WHAT  
 **Chloe:** WHAT?  
 **Max:** I love you very much.  
 **Chloe:** ur grosssss  
 **Max:** Yeah, well, you signed up for this.  
 **Max:** Should've read the fine print.  
 **Chloe:** yeah ok ill get on that after i read the terms of service for spotify  
 **Chloe:**  love you too btw

* * *

**Chloe:** franklin  
 **Chloe:** i request your services  
 **Frank:** my full name isn't even Franklin  
 **Chloe:** is it not?  
 **Frank:** What? No!  
 **Chloe:** huh.  
 **Chloe:** anyway, liquor run por favor  
 **Frank:**  Fine. Send me your list.

* * *

**Chloe:** do you understand baseball?  
 **Victoria:** Yeah...why?  
 **Chloe:** how do u feel about bunting  
 **Chloe:** in a strategic sense?  
 **Victoria:** wtf are you talking about?

* * *

**Max:** My parents are SO excited to see you.  
 **Max:** It's all my mom will talk about.  
 **Chloe:** oh my god  
 **Chloe:** im so scared  
 **Chloe:** what if they dont like me  
 **Max:** Alright, I know we both suffer from insecurities  
 **Max:** But that one is actually ridiculous.  
 **Chloe:** you know, u say that  
 **Chloe:** but what if your wrong  
 **Max:** When am I ever wrong?  
 **Chloe:**  holy shit im so fucked

* * *

**Chloe:** can i count on you to be my rock with this prom shit  
 **Chloe:** fashion wise  
 **Courtney:** Chloe, I would be honored.  
 **Courtney:** You will be the marble and I, Michelangelo  
 **Chloe:** ok youre at a 10 and i need u at a 4

* * *

**Chloe:** hey, did i tell you that max played guitar for me!?  
 **Kate:** Ohmygosh, no! That's so sweet! I know she's self-conscious about it.  
 **Kate:** How was it?  
 **Chloe:** one step closer to being religious  
 **Kate:**  Hmm. He does work in mysterious ways.

* * *

**Chloe:** mutter.  
 **Chloe:** frank says thank you for the casserole  
 **Joyce:** Oh, tell him it was no trouble. We had leftovers and I thought he could use something other than those awful beans.  
 **Chloe:** holy shit do not let him hear you say that  
 **Chloe:** hell collapse into a black hole  
 **Joyce:** Well, it's true.  
 **Chloe:**  a. black. hole.

* * *

**Justin:** do u have any eye drops?  
 **Chloe:** justin im literally at work right now  
 **Chloe:** how would i be of any help?  
 **Justin:** ffffffffuck  
 **Chloe:** just say you were crying  
 **Justin:** about what though?  
 **Chloe:** how about the part in toy story 2 when jessie's person abandons her  
 **Justin:** fuck man  
 **Justin:** she was so lonely

* * *

**Max:** We're getting so close to the end of the year.  
 **Max:** Just a few more months.  
 **Max:** I'm going to be graduated!  
 **Max:** It's a little scary but...I'm so excited.  
 **Chloe:** im so excited for you babe  
 **Chloe:** then, idk, its like...the future  
 **Chloe:** just a reminder, the future that you gave me  
 **Max:** You're...so goddamn amazing.  
 **Chloe:** not as muuuuch as u!  
 **Max:** You're...so goddam amazing.  
 **Max:** AGH my phone keeps double sending messages.  
 **Chloe:** lol thats okay.  
 **Chloe:** just means i get double the max  
 **Max:** Dork.  
 **Chloe:** Nerd.  
 **Max:** Freak.  
 **Chloe:** Weirdo.  
 **Max:** Beautiful.  
 **Chloe:**  Perfect.


	56. Watching Paint Dry

"Reporting for duty!" Chloe said cheerily as she slid open the backdoor. She stepped outside, followed by Max, and clapped her hands excitedly. "We are here to paint the shit out of this house!" David turned to them and chuckled as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"You weren't kidding about the outfits," he said, picking a screwdriver out of the small collection of tools he had situated on a towel in the grass. Chloe scoffed and held her arms out.

"Of course we weren't kidding!" She reached beside her and tugged on the brim of the baseball cap Max wore, jerking the girl's head forward. With a bit of flourish, she spun around, displaying the oversized t-shirt and cargo pants. "We raided the thrift store for clothes we could get all...paint-y." She grinned as she twisted the baseball hat backwards on her head, then nodded at Max.

_Max looks so cute in that hat. ...sporty? Hm. It's becoming clearer to me that any 'type' I used to have has just become 'whatever Max is wearing today.'_

"Good." David plunged the screwdriver into the rim of the paint can, then yanked it toward him so that it popped off. "I'm sure it'll be a mess. I just finished power washing the place down this morning." He surveyed the siding of the house, then puckered his lips in amusement. "I still think you're too excited for this. It's hard work."

"Psht," Max said, swinging each of her hands out in a sign of 'no big deal,' "I date Chloe. I know all about hard work."

_Oooh, Max got jokes._

"And I  _am_ Chloe," she pointed at herself with her thumb, "so I know all about...fucking with liquid-y, blue goop." She shrugged and picked up one of the paint rollers, looking it over. "So, how long do you think it'll take us?"

"I'd say two or three days at the most," he replied, rubbing his hand over his chin as if pondering.

_Whaaat? Yeah right, we can knock it out in a few hours._

"Heh, look," Max snickered, pulling on her waistline, "you could fit a whole 'nother me in here."

"Yeah, actually..." Chloe snickered, collecting the excess fabric of her shirt into her fist and pulling, "it seems like a workplace hazard to have this much extra cloth roaming around all willy-nilly." She tied it into a knot and gave herself a satisfied nod. Max held her shirt out by the bottom, nonverbally asking Chloe to do the same for her. Once she was done, she poked the tiny bit of Max's exposed stomach, bringing a giggle out of the girl.

"So, what do we do?" Max asked, picking up the roller Chloe had just set down and spinning it with her finger.

"Well, I'll get the paint ready in the tray and then I'll show you girls the proper technique for putting it on," David responded. At Chloe's huff, he held up his hand. "I'm not saying it like I think you're incapable, it's just that you have to do it a specific way."

_Oh man, I bet David's totally getting off on finally being able to instruct me again. Luckily, this time it's without the whole 'wanting to bash his head in' part. So far, anyway._

"I can't believe you think we're incapable," Chloe said, chuckling impishly when David sighed in exasperation. "No, I get you. We don't want it to look all runny and shitty."

"Right," Max added, "we're aiming for more Vermeer than Picasso." She looked it up and down. "I could meet you halfway at Monet if you're really attached to the idea." David glared at her, then at Chloe, then to the paint can in his hands.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, then poured it into the metal tray.

"Don't mind her, she's just being pretentious," Chloe said, nudging her playfully.

_Aaand I love it._

"So, what you're going to do," David said, taking the roller from Max and dipping it into the tray, "is roll it in here until it's covered, then make sure you get all the drips and excess paint off." He took it to the siding of the house and glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were paying attention. "Slowly, you're going to want to roll it in a smooth, straight line. No going crazy with it or changing directions mid-stroke."

"It's like coloring," Max interjected, holding up a finger. "Like, if you don't color all in one direction, it looks sloppy." David's eyes angled upward, then he shrugged.

"Sure, it is kind of like that," he said. "After, you can shore up any spots in the divots of the siding with a brush." He stopped and turned back to the girls, looking at them as if awaiting feedback.

"What, that's it?" Chloe laughed.

"What do you mean 'that's it?'" David pointed at the freshly painted section. "There was technique involved."

"You just rolled it back and forth," Max said. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then let out a frustrated gust of breath.

"Okay," he said, handing the roller to Chloe, "you get the...general gist of it. Are you good to start?"

"Hell yeah, let's get this party started!" Chloe replied, waving the roller around. Max picked up the other one from the towel and gave David a nod.

"Good, let me know if you need help." He turned and walked toward the gate leading out front, picking up a gun-like device that had been set near it.

"What's that?" Chloe asked.

"It's a sprayer." He held it up. "I'm going to start on the side."

_Holy shit, you cheater!_

"You're using the easy thing!?" Chloe glanced at Max, then back to him with a glare. "Why are you making us do the grunt work?"

"Because," he smiled as he jostled it tantalizingly, "I'm the expert." Still smiling, he strutted through the gate proud as a peacock.

"He probably thinks we'd just shoot each other," Max said, tapping her roller to Chloe's forehead and moving it up and down. "And he's probably not wrong."

_Yeah, but I mean...meh, fair enough._

"Yeaaah, okay," Chloe said, relenting. "Well, you ready to get your art on?"

"I don't know how to turn it off," Max responded with a laugh.

* * *

"So, yeah, I don't know," Max said, carefully painting a fresh stripe of blue onto the house, "I guess I just find her a little too...chaotic neutral for my liking."

"I'm chaotic neutral and you love me," Chloe replied, applying a new layer of paint to her roller.

"You're chaotic good," Max corrected, staying focused on her 'technique,' as David would call it. "You're like a really excitable puppy that sometimes nibbles too hard when they play."

_Frank says I'm a bulldog. Does...he think I slobber a lot?_

"Huh..." Chloe returned to her section of the wall, "that's pretty true to life. How many times have I accidentally busted your lip?"

"I lost count," Max giggled, stepping back and admiring her work. "Busted lips, broken blood vessels on my neck, scratches..." She turned to Chloe and smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "You're dangerous, you know that?"

_And you're kinky, fuckin' sue me._

"Chaotic neutral," she responded with a slight shrug.

"I guess," Max laughed. She went over to the stereo they had dragged down from Chloe's room and picked up her phone. "Any requests?" she asked, bouncing her finger on the auxiliary cord. Chloe 'hmm'd.'

"Hit me with some CAKE?" Chloe asked. "I could groove to that."

"Sounds good..." Max snickered. "I can't believe we had to do Victoria's laundry! But at least she and Kate got to spoon finally."

_Victoria keeping it chaste. Keeping it...Chase-t? Heheh._

"I wonder who was the big spoon and who was the little," Chloe mused.

"Kate is very little spoon," Max answered, going back to the wall and continuing to paint.

"Maybe," Chloe said, peeking her tongue through her teeth as she concentrated, "but Vic is surprisingly...submissive. She might have been the baby spoon." She sighed with a small dose of relief as she angled her head at the stereo. "Mom's been like, obsessed with tropical music since her cruise. It's..." she scowled and shook her head, "it's Ja-makin' me crazy."

_I could actually feel that pun take years off my life._

"Ugh, that was horrible, babe," Max groaned, her face contorting in displeasure.

As if on cue, the backdoor opened and Joyce stepped out, dressed in her own set of old clothing. Chloe huffed dramatically and turned to her.

"Speak of the devil," she said, trying on her best parental tone. "Nice of you to join us, young lady."

"Oh hush," Joyce laughed, pulling her hair up. "I was running errands. Getting food to make  _you_ dinner."

"Hear that, Max?" Chloe pursed her lips and shook her head disapprovingly, "sounds a lot like an excuse."

"Oh shut up," Max giggled. "Hi Joyce, how are you?"

"I'm good, Max, thank you." She surveyed their progress. "You girls have gotten more done than I thought you would've by now."

_Why...is everyone so down on our painting skills? What sort of fuckery is that?_

"Yeah, well, we're going the distance," Chloe said, pointing the roller at her. "We're going for speed."

"It's the song," Max added, nodding to the stereo before Joyce could question anything.

"Right," Joyce said, accepting it without resistance. She scooped up the leftover roller and gave a sigh of longing. "I remember when your father started this."

_Oh god, here we go..._

"Me too," Chloe replied, her voice a pinch quieter than it had been. "He was way too excited."

"Kind of like you were?" Joyce asked, putting a hand on Chloe's shoulder and offering a warm smile. She thought it over.

"The apple doesn't fall far, I guess," she chuckled.

"Thank goodness." Joyce dipped the roller into the paint. "It makes me so proud to see how much you've taken after him."

_I'm like Dad?_

"You...think so?" Chloe asked, stopping what she was doing.

"Very much," Joyce responded. "You have his heart, that's for sure."

"Mom..." Chloe sighed, drooping her head forward, "please don't make me cry while I'm painting."

_Seriously, I will fuck this all up._

"Sorry, hon," Joyce briefly laid her head on Chloe's shoulder, then continued on to a blank spot of the wall. "He'd be thrilled that we're finally finishing this." She smirked. "I like the getups, by the way."

"Yeah!" Max pointed to her hat. "We're being careful so that we can do stuff like this and it not be a big deal." She pranced over to Chloe and bent down, dragging the roller along her pant leg.

_Aw man, you got me first._

"Very proactive of you," Joyce laughed, beginning to paint.

"You blue me up." Chloe looked down at her leg with a pout.

"Yeah. Kaboom!" Max teased as she turned away.

"Okay," Chloe said, taking a step back, "maybe David was right about this being a multiple day activity. Who would have thought this would be so time consuming?"

"Everyone but you," Joyce quipped with a pleased lilt in her voice.

_Dammit, weird...feelings..._

"Do you think..." Chloe began, lightly kicking her toes into the ground, "Dad would have, I don't know, visited me at the Two Whales? To see me be...adult and stuff?" Max slowed down her stroke, keeping one eye on Chloe to monitor the girl.

"I'm positive he would have," Joyce said, thinking nothing of it. "Probably more often than you'd actually prefer," she added with a laugh.

_It could never be too often._

"Doubt it," Chloe replied, "he could come in every single day and I'd be so happy to see him. I'd make sure all of his food was perfect." She glanced away and sniffled, then shook her head. "Is it weird that I'm kind of glad he wasn't around for me getting shot?" Joyce turned to her with a look of surprise. "I just, you know, I wouldn't want to put him through that. Bad enough that it happened with you and David."

_I'm...glad I didn't have to see his reaction to my accident in the other timeline. Or Mom's. It'd break my heart._

"I...suppose that is good, in its own way," Joyce said quietly. She made a sad, contemplative sound. "It's still hard for me to think about that." Her face tightened, and Chloe could tell she was trying to remain composed. "When David called me, I just..." the tears reworked themselves into a dismayed chuckle, "I just kept thinking 'no, not her too. Please, anything but that.'"

_Right, I was in zombie mode. I never had to see what happened. Chalk me up for being glad about that one too._

"Mom..." Chloe set her roller down, then went over to her and took her in a hug, "I'm sorry I scared you like that."

"Why are you apologizing?" Joyce said in an attempt at scolding her. "It wasn't your fault."

_Sort of debatable...I guess I accidentally got the ball rolling._

"I know, but still," Chloe hugged her tighter, "I wouldn't leave you like that."

"You better not." This time, Joyce successfully injected some assertiveness into her tone. "I'd be so angry with you."

_Mom anger is just so...crushing._

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd drag me right out of hell to give me a talking to," Chloe snickered. "And I mean, hey," she turned to Max and held her arm out, beckoning the girl to her, "without all of that, Max and I wouldn't have reunited."

"I would have preferred it be under different circumstances," Max admitted, squeezing her way into the hug between Chloe and Joyce. "But, yeah, I'm pretty happy about that part."

"I am too," Joyce said, leaning into Max to show her affection. "I'm so blessed that everything turned out the way it did."

_Everyone keeps saying that... I can't tell if it's a cruel joke or a good reminder of us kicking time's ass._

"Same," Max added, nuzzling between them before they finally broke the hug.

"Althooough," Chloe said, her voice spiking deviously. "I feel things  _could_ have turned out even better. I mean," she whimsically flitted her hand, "what if, as a gift for surviving, you guys bought me a souped up Lamborghini or something? That would have been hella tight."

_Did I just say tight? Whoops, tuck that one back in the retirement home._

Joyce narrowed her eyes at her, then quickly brought her roller to Chloe's chest, painting a long stripe down to her pelvis.

_WHAT._

"Woah!" Chloe's jaw slacked open in shock, then it picked itself up into a smile. "You tryin' to go, woman?" She yanked the roller out of Joyce's hands, then jabbed it against her stomach, giving several fast swishes up and down. She whipped in Max's direction as the girl was backing away. "I owe you payback, too!" Max squealed and turned to run, with Chloe chasing after her.

"No!" she screamed, howling with laughter. With a grunt, she jerked to a stop and spun around, brandishing her roller as a weapon. "Fine, I always beat you at sword fighting anyway."

_I fucking LET YOU WIN BECAUSE I HAD A CRUSH ON YOU._

"Oh, you're fucking dead, you twerp!" Chloe responded, pressing her attack. She felt pressure on her rear and yelped, glancing over her shoulder to see her original roller missing from the paint tray. "No, that is  _not_ fair, Mom!"

_Oh god, I'm outnumbered._

"Since when do pirates play fair?" Joyce asked, cocking her head in genuine confusion.

"They have like, a code!" Chloe jumped again as Max swiped her on the knee. "A code of honor! This is BULLSHIT!"

"Rule number one of pirating!" Max cackled, going in again as Joyce joined. "Never trust a verbal agreement with people who don't bathe!"

"And respect your parents," Joyce added, smiling wide as she created a streak of blue on Chloe's back.

"GUYS!" Chloe shrieked, out of breath with laughter. "This isn't faaaair!" Suddenly, the onslaught stopped. Max was staring off to the side, her eyes wide and a small smile on her face. Chloe followed her gaze to find David with his arms slack at his sides, a dumbfounded look on his face.

_Please save me, David!_

"What in...the world is going on here?" he asked, his voice rigid with awe. Joyce was reflecting Max's expression, mimicking a deer in the headlights. Then, she smiled and took two steps toward him, roller aimed in front of her like a spear. She glanced back at Chloe and Max and received a look of acknowledgment, then turned back to David.

"Mutiny," she said, and all three charged.

* * *

"I'm about six different kinds of hungry," Chloe said, leaning back in the chair with a groan.

"You worked up an appetite," David replied. She couldn't help but smile at the splotches of blue on his face. In fact, everyone had their own array of paint speckled on their skin.

_A war was fought this day. A bloody, terrible war._

"Seriously..." Max yawned and cradled her head in her hands, "I'm freakin' pooped."

"We got more done than I expected," David admitted. "And it actually looks pretty good." Chloe side-eyed him.

"You seem surprised," she said dryly.

_How little faith did you HAVE in us, you troll?_

"Maybe a little," he chuckled. His face lit up as Joyce came to the table with a giant pot filled three quarters full of homemade tomato sauce. "It's been so long since we've had spaghetti."

"Thought it was a nice change of pace," she said, taking a seat. "No hats at the table, Chloe."

_Oh, weak._

"What?" Chloe scowled. "But I like my hat! What is this, a dictatorship?" She narrowed her eyes. "What are you, fascists?"

"Oh," David laughed, "haven't heard that one in a while."

"Yeah, well, you guys haven't been  _fascists_ in a while," she shot back, biting down on the word 'fascists.'

_I guess I did kind of run that one into the ground. Lost a lot of its punch._

"Babe, just take the hat off," Max giggled, spooning noodles onto her dish.

"Yes, dear," Chloe sighed as she took it off, frisbee-ing it behind her.

"You sure do have her wrapped around your finger," Joyce said with a smirk. Max nodded cheerily as she bit down on her fork.

"She sure fucking does," Chloe grumbled. "A golden band is just going to be a visual manifestation of that. Cut out the middleman and make it easy to tell at a glance." She grumpily dug the noodles out of the bowl. When she noticed the quiet that fell over the room, she looked up and found everyone staring at her. "What?"

_Do I have something in my teeth? I haven't even eaten anything yet..._

"A golden band, huh?" Joyce asked, turning to look at Max. The girl shrunk, her cheeks turning red as she prodded her food with her fork. David's eyebrows were raised as high as they could go, his hand unmoving as it firmly the handle of his 'World's Best Dadvid' mug.

_Oh, grow up._

"Yeah, okay," Chloe laughed, "like it's a big, huge,  _gigantic_  surprise that I'm planning on marrying her." She 'tsk'd' as if disappointed. "I mean, really."

"Chloe..." Max muttered, shooting a nervous, sideways glance at Joyce.

"It's just...surprising to hear you say it out loud," Joyce responded.

"I'm sure it was also surprising to hear me say 'fuck' out loud at first too," Chloe snarked, twirling the noodles around her fork. She felt a foot jab into her shin, and looked to find Max even redder, shielding either side of her face with her hands.

_Aw, you're like...actually embarrassed, aren't you?_

"Sorry, love," Chloe said quietly, flashing apologetic puppy eyes in Max's direction. "Didn't mean to make you all flustered."

"It's cool," Max replied in a ghostly, squeaky voice as she slid further down her seat. Joyce snorted in laughter and reached for the girl's shoulder.

"Sweetie, are you still scared I'm going to bite your head off with this stuff?" she asked.

"Marriage is lots big," Max mumbled, her face scrunching when she realized her English had failed.

_Ha, cute._

"It...certainly is," Joyce agreed. "It's a lot to think about, but..." she shrugged, "you'll cross that bridge when you get to it. Of course the whole idea makes me feel a bit...parental, but I've also never seen something like you two have." David nodded to her as if agreeing in a humorous, unsure way. "I've said it once, and I'll say it again. It seems like it was fated."

_Ah, the F-word. The...other F-word, anyway._

"Look, I'll make you a deal," Chloe said, her voice jumbled as she chewed, "we'll play the role of unsure, young lovers around you if it'll make you feel better."

"Ha!" Joyce shook her head with a smile. "You don't need to do that, Chloe. I'm just being a mom." She exhaled through her nose and let her shoulders relax. "I'm just happy to hear you have some kind of plan for the future for a change."

"Yikes," Chloe chuckled, "next time, can you take your rings off before giving me a backhanded compliment?"

By the time dinner was over, it had become abundantly clear that everyone ate far more than they should have. Even Joyce, who was usually good about tempering herself, slouched in her chair with her hands planted on her stomach. Eventually, and with several rocks back and forth to gain momentum, David got up from his chair and meandered into the kitchen. When he came back, he had a bottle of wine and four glasses hanging by the stems between each of his fingers.

"Okay," he said, a burp forcing itself out to distort the latter half of the word, "I wanted to do this to mark the occasion." Chloe glanced between Joyce and Max with confusion, though it seemed her mother was unphased. In fact, she was smiling with a glint of sweetness in her eye. He poured the wine into each of the glasses, then passed them out.

_What are you up to, David?_

"Alright." David cleared his throat. "A few months ago, I promised Chloe that we would finish painting the house in memory of William. As...strange as the circumstances are, I'm honored to be able to see it through and do right by him. It means a lot to me to have the chance to do that." He raised his glass, and Joyce did the same, prompting Max and Chloe to follow suit. "I hope that he can see the end result and find pride in it." He gulped, then held the glass out into the center of the table. "To William."

"To William," Joyce and Max repeated, reaching to the to bring their glasses together.

"To Dad," Chloe whispered, adding hers to the group. The clinking sound echoed inside of her chest.

* * *

Chloe laid on her bed, the smoke from her cigarette spiraling up into the air. Beside her, Max tapped on her phone, replying to a text message. When she was done, she dropped the phone beside her and laid down next to Chloe.

"Kate's asking me for tips about our photography assignment," she said, lifting her hand in the air and swishing a finger through the smoke. "I really like Ms. Waters. She's creative about assignments. This one is, if we could photograph any moment in history, what we choose and why?"

"Oh?" Chloe nibbled her lip absentmindedly, her eyes not leaving the swirl of smoke. "Do you know what yours would be?"

"I'm torn between the signing of the Declaration of Independence or a shot of a Shakespeare play in action," Max said, "like with actual Shakespeare. I think that'd be kind of cool. The Declaration thing seems a little obvious, so I'm leaning toward that one. It'd be interesting too since there's so much mystery around him, maybe I'd be able to glean some answers."

_To paint, or not to paint...that is the question._

"All the guys would be dressed in drag," Chloe said, the cigarette twitching as her lips formed into a smirk. "I wonder how much dude on dude making out there was."

"Probs a lot," Max replied, letting her head roll against Chloe's. "I could take a photo of Shakespeare getting frisky with some random actor. That'd be gold." She sighed dreamily at the possibility. "How about you?"

_Any moment..._

"Hm." Chloe took the cigarette out of her mouth and stamped it out in the ashtray beside her. A dark thought surfaced in her mind. "The crucifixion."

"Really?" Max asked, propping herself up on her elbow. "That's...morbid. How come?"

"I don't know," Chloe said, shrugging as much as she was able. "I guess like, if it's all true, than that's sort of the lowest point in history. It'd be a good reminder that we can only go up." She tightened her eyes to slits. "And if it's not true, then...that solves that, right?"

_Fifty percent of war, poof._

"I...guess so," Max said. She looked to the side in thought, then frowned. "How's the head?"

"It was painted in the other timeline," Chloe responded. She said it without hesitation, as if it had been waiting on her tongue. Max winced and fell back down into the bed, snaking her arms around the girl. "Ours doesn't look the same."

_What...did we do differently?_

"Does that bother you?" Max asked.

"I dunno," she said, "it's just...weird. It's kind of like using a reference to draw but yours doesn't look anything like the original. And I guess, in a way, it's disappointing?"

"Yeah, but," Max left several feathery kisses on Chloe's cheek, "don't you think William would love  _your_ version more? The one you helped make?"

_I guess...that's true._

"He probably would," Chloe agreed. "It's just...like I said, weird."

"I know, baby." Max combed her fingers through Chloe's hair. "I wish I could reach in there and pluck those memories out." She kissed her on the temple.

"Like Operation," Chloe said, working up a smile. "If you touch the sides, you just hear 'brrrzt!'"

_Why...did that dude have a light up, red nose?_

"That's nerve wracking," Max giggled. "I don't think my hands are steady enough for that." She wiggled her feet up and down, a quiet 'hmmm' rumbling in her throat, then she got to her knees and straddled Chloe. "Okay, I'm gonna try."

"Try what?" Chloe asked, staring up at her. In response, Max brought two fingers to Chloe's forehead and pinched, pulling them away very slowly.

"Got one," she said, holding her fingers together for Chloe to see. Chloe grinned and grabbed the girl by the waist. "I'm going in again." She held her breath and lowered her hand again, this time on Chloe's scalp, her mouth scrunched to the side as she concentrated.

_Gonna get her._

"BRRZT!" Chloe shook Max by the waist, bringing out a sputter of giggles. "Did you even sterilize those tools?" she asked, looking at Max expectantly.

"Yeah," she replied, "I dipped them in the big thing of vodka I was drinking before the procedure." She comically swayed left and right to simulate being drunk. "Okay, open wide."

_Excuse me?_

" _Open wide!?_ " Chloe asked with a look of horror. "What the fuck kind of practice are you running!?"

"Shh, shh," Max soothed, sticking her fingers into Chloe's mouth and gently pulling down on her jaw, "I'm the professional here."

_This is SO not how it works._

"I 'on' 'ink 'is is 'ow i' wor's," Chloe tried to say.

"I can't even understand you," Max mocked with a roll of the eyes, "you're being a difficult patient right now." Chloe's eyebrows arched angrily, but she allowed Max to continue. "Yep, okay, I'll take this one..." She reached into Chloe's mouth and swatted a finger down on her tongue, then retracted both hands.

"Tastes like vodka," she quipped, smacking her lips.

"Thanks!" She smiled wide and booped Chloe on the nose. "Your teeth are super straight, did you know that?"

"Something about me has to be, I guess," Chloe chuckled. Her smile faded, and she stared at Max, her eyes brimming with adoration. "You're so good at making me feel better..."

_Seriously, how do you do that?_

"I'm glad," she replied. "I only want you to be happy."

"You're doing a really good job," Chloe said.

"Do I get a promotion?" she asked, bringing her hands to her chest in coy excitement.

"I'll have to consult the board and see how much wiggle room we have with the budget." Chloe snickered when Max crossed her arms in offense. "Yes, of course. You can be CEO of Feel Good Inc."

"Clever," Max said with a smirk. She brought her fingers to Chloe's lips and clamped them together, pinching them like tweezers, and then bringing them back. "I missed that one."

_That's what you like to hear from a doctor._

"I'm going to wake up from surgery with medical tools in my stomach or something," Chloe laughed. Max waved her hand dismissively and crawled off of Chloe's lap, turning around so that her back faced her. "What are you doing?"

"I missed another one," she replied slyly, reaching forward and pinching Chloe's zipper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Price-Madsen Household shenanigans abound! Finally delivering on that idea I brought up way back in chapter 27! Hope you guys don't mind having so many Chloe POV chapters lately. It feels necessary for the ground we're covering!
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter and, as always, thank you so much for reading! :)


	57. Ferris Wheel On Fire

"Do you think it'd be weird for me to take pictures here?" Max asked, staring in awe at the array of multicolored, spinning lights around the carnival. "It's really pretty."

_There's so much going on. It's like...beautiful chaos. Like someone I know._

"No, I don't think it'd be weird," Chloe said, closing the door of the truck. She glanced down at the ground and smirked. "Probably make sure you don't get all the litter and trash on the ground, though. You know...aim up."

_Okay, less like Chloe._

"Ew!" Max laughed, taking a large step away from a puddle that was very much not water. "Okay, yes, I'll have to do some extra work with the framing." She looked around her and 'hmm'd.' "Victoria said they'd be waiting by... Oh! There they are!" Taking Chloe's hand into her own, they walked over to the girls waiting by Victoria's car.

"What up, kids?" Chloe greeted, making sure she went straight for Abigail and tousled her hair, bringing a giggle out of her.

"I'm so happy you came!" she said, rocking onto her heels, then tiptoes giddily. "This is going to be so fun!"

_Aw, it's cute how excited she is._

"Of course," Max replied. "How are you guys?"

"I'm good!" Kate responded, leaning her shoulder into Victoria.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good too," Victoria added. She gave a dramatic sniff of the air and puckered her lips. "It smells like junk food and I think I'm about it."

"Honestly, I've had a hankering for funnel cake since Chloe told me about this place," Max said. "I think I even had a dream about taking a bath in powdered sugar." Chloe arched an eyebrow and turned to her.

"Was I there?" she asked.

_Dude, I wish._

"You were not." Max smiled with a bit of embarrassment at Abigail. "I'm sorry ahead of time for any weird stuff she says. She literally can't help it. I think the impulse is directly related to her need to blink or..." she looked Chloe up and down, "or maybe even breathe."

"That's okay," Abigail laughed, "I've had sex-ed."

" _You will get pregnant. And die." Hopefully it was a little more informative than that._

"That's...good," Kate said, her eyes narrowed. "Um, anyway, do you want to get some funnel cake before we explore?" Victoria thought it over.

"Yes..." she said with a hint of hesitation, "I don't  _think_ it'll make me throw up on a ride."

_Okay, note to self, don't get on that spinny UFO ride. It'll hit like ten people in the face._

"Very encouraging," Chloe said, placing her hand on Max's lower back. "Well, let's go get some nosh."

They made their way to a large tent, Abigail leading the group with an enthusiastic bounce. Again, Max found it refreshingly cute how pleased she seemed to be with her older, 'cooler' entourage. She'd admit, it was something that she would have loved when she was her age. Just as she expected most early teens would. It had that shine of innocence, which was proving to be a rapidly decreasing nonrenewable resource. As they ducked into the tent, the stifled music that could be heard outside became clearer. It was a band comprised of middle-aged men playing a cover of a Journey song.

_Well, I suppose that's about as stereotypical as you can get._

"Look at these guys just absolutely  _shredding,_ " Chloe said, her tone rife with sarcasm.

"They seem to be having fun, at least," Kate responded, heading toward the funnel cake booth. "That's what's important!"

They ordered two servings, the intention before for each couple to share a plate while Abigail could pick at both. They found an empty spot at the long row of picnic tables pushed together and took a seat.

"This is so good," Victoria said as she chewed, her eyes fluttering in pleasure. "I don't even care how bad it is for you."

"I know, right?" Max wiggled her hips left and right in her seat. She wiped her hands on her pants absentmindedly, scowled, then changed to using a napkin. "So, Abby, how's school going?"

"It's okay," she said, reaching across the table to get at Max and Chloe's plate, "so far I have straight A's for the semester."

_Damn, that's awesome._

"No shit?" Chloe asked, impressed. "Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about." Kate grinned and patted Abigail on the shoulder.

"She's really smart," she said. "I'm so proud of her!"

"It's not a big deal..." Abigail blushed, bowing her head shyly as she slipped a bite into her mouth.

"Sure it is," Max said. "It's good to keep on top of your schoolwork like that." She chuckled. "See? That's what happens when you're not wrapped up in drama and romantic squabbles." Abigail's eyes went wide and she waved her hand, shaking off her bashfulness. She swallowed and bared her teeth in a smile.

"Cassie and Eric broke up already," she said with a mischievous giggle. "I mean, I'm not  _happy_ that she got her heart broken, but I do think it's kind of funny since we were in a big fight about it."

_Ah, puppy love. You'll never know when you'll have to put it down. Er...that's morbid._

"She might  _think_ she's had her heart broken, but trust me, she'll bounce back like it's nothing," Chloe said. "You guys are too young for that shit."

"Still," Kate shrugged, "her sadness is real to her, and that's what's matters. She just doesn't have the ability to put it in perspective yet."

"Geez, guys," Max snickered, "try not to make getting older sound so horrible. You're going to scare her."

"A little bit, yeah," Abigail admitted with a look stuck somewhere between amusement and horror.

Suddenly, Max realized Victoria had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the conversation, and looked to find her shoveling funnel cake in her mouth. She nudged Chloe and nodded at her.

_She's totally lost in her own little world._

"Real nice, Vic," Chloe said dryly, shaking her head. Victoria looked up and furrowed her brow.

"What?" she asked, powdered sugar covering her lips and the tip of her nose.

"Um," Kate giggled, bringing a napkin to the girl's face, "let's...clean that off."

* * *

"I think I just realized I'm scared of rides," Max said, staring up at the giant, spinning contraption that, as far as she knew, was made entirely of scrap metal and held together with duct tape.

_What the hell kind of name is Zipper anyway? Yeah, it'll unzip my face._

"Are you being like, actual serious or just playing around?" Chloe asked, grabbing her by the hand and showing a bit of concern.

"No, like, I feel sick just looking at it," Max laughed. "I think...uh, I might sit this one out. We should go back on the strawberry thing."

"Okay, no sweat, babe," she said. She turned to the others and clapped her hands. "How about you guys? All ready to go?"

"I am! I can ride with you!" Abigail said, grabbing Chloe's wrist and swinging their arms in a joyous pendulum.

_Better you than me, Abby._

"Alright," Chloe chuckled, "we'll conquer it together." She looked at Victoria and Kate. "Aaaand? What about you guys? Or are you gonna be pussies?" She made kissy sounds to accompany her taunt.

_And what the hell does that make me!?_

"No," Kate said, clenching her fists with determination. "I can do it! Right, Vic?" She seemed to think something over and nibbled her lip. "Right...baby?" Kate immediately looked at the ground in embarrassment. Victoria, who had just been staring up at the ride with a grimace, whipped her head to Kate.

"Well, I can't say no after that," she replied, smiling warmly as she took Kate's hand. "That was...disgustingly cute." She perked a curious eyebrow. "Does that officially open the door to pet names?"

"Uh huh," Kate responded quietly, nodding without making eye contact.

"Are they...always like this?" Abigail asked.

"Yes," Max said with exasperation, "literally always." She sighed and gave Chloe a peck on the cheek, then looked into Abigail's eyes. "Alright, Abby. I need you to protect my girl up there, okay?"

"Yes ma'am!" she said. It seemed like she might actually be taking the task seriously.

"Good." Max gave Chloe one more kiss, then nuzzled into her shoulder. "I'll see you guys when it's over, okay?"

"Alright," Victoria said, popping her lips as she once again assessed the ride. "Max, if I die, I want you to make sure they pick a good picture for my service." She flicked a hand out daintily. "I have this one where I'm wearing a really cute maroon blouse and this very subtle green eye shadow, make sure you-"

"Jesus fucking Christ." Chloe rolled her eyes and grabbed Victoria by the shoulder. " _If_ you die, we'll give you a viking funeral and I'll shoot the arrows." Before Victoria could respond, she was dragged away.

Max watched as they moved in line, giving a happy wave whenever someone looked over at her. She didn't love how much it made her feel like a parent. After a few minutes, Victoria and Kate were ushered into one of the pods, followed by Chloe and Abigail taking the next. As the machine started twisting and rising into the air, she wandered a few feet away and surveyed her surroundings, patting her bag where her camera was.

_It really is pretty...pretty. It's even pretty in a trashy way. The juxtaposition here really would make for some cool photos. The way the lights move so slowly on the merry-go-round, it's kind of hypnotic. And the way the...wait. Is that...?_

There, standing in the middle of a busy pathway full of people walking in both directions, the ghostly doe stood. It stared at Max, still as a statue. The surrounding people didn't notice it at all. In fact, many of them walked right through it.

_Well, I guess that settles any debate on whether or not it's...weird. What **are** you?_

Rather than make a move toward it, she simply returned its gaze, trying and failing to rationalize it in her mind. She must have been looking for a while, as the sound of her name snapped her back to reality. She immediately felt silly, imagining what the strangers thought of the girl staring vacantly at them.

"Max! We did it!" Kate said, holding her hands in the air triumphantly. Victoria trailed just behind her, though her expression was much less enthused.

"Great job, guys," Max chuckled. She turned back to the doe, and was unsurprised to see that it was gone. Making a conscious effort not to dwell on it too much – after all, it was becoming quite common – she waited at the exit for Chloe and Abigail to get off.

"That was...so scary!" Abigail said with a grin. "Wow, I've never felt so...alive!" She turned to Chloe and raised her hand, ecstatic to receive a high-five back.

"It was puh-retty intense," Chloe snickered, "but really fun. How did you guys like it?"

"It was amazing!" Kate said. "I kind of want to go on ag-" She was interrupted by the clumsy, rapid footsteps of Victoria darting away. She leaned into a trash can and the guttural sound of heaving erupted from it. "Oh my gosh!" Kate hurried to her and bent down, placing a hand on Victoria's back.

_Ohhh grody._

"Welp," Chloe said, watching on with her nose crinkled in revulsion, "I feel like we should have seen that coming."

* * *

"I'm definitely fine," Victoria said, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm very okay. Got it all out of my system."

_You sound like a drunk person trying to convince a cop you're good to drive._

"You sure did," Max chuckled, patting her on the shoulder. She looked around her as they meandered away from the collection of rides. "Let's...chill with the rides, huh? We can play some games or...really anything less traumatic on the stomach."

"That sounds like a good idea," Kate said, keeping a tight hold on Victoria's hand. "Victoria, are you sure you're okay?"

"I am  _so_ okay," she replied, wiping the clamminess from her forehead. "Honestly? I've never been better."

" _No officer, I haven't had a single tonight to drink."_

"Yeah," Chloe elongated the word with disbelief, "let's go play some Skee-Ball or something." She tapped a finger on her chin with a smirk. "I wonder if they have that rubber ducky game where you always win?"

"Not confident in your ability?" Max teased, poking Chloe in the side.

"Dude, I could win every game here at the same time," she argued.

"Okay then, do it," Max pressed, crossing her arms.

"I have nothing to prove to you," Chloe replied, turning up her nose with a scoff.

"I believe in you, Chloe," Kate said, still leading the zombie-like Victoria by the hand.

First, Chloe tried a game that was simply making a shot with a basketball and Max found it slightly strange to see the girl 'playing' a sport. It seemed that was the case for Chloe as well, as she missed every shot then muttered under her breath about how the rim was bent. Then, they all took turns playing a game that required you to throw darts at balloons. It was easy enough, and they all walked away with glow stick bracelets, with Kate snagging a glowing pair of glasses. Even Victoria managed to hit her target.

"Oh my god," Max said, pointing to the ceiling of one of the booths where the prizes hung. "That bear is literally the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"Alright," Chloe sighed, reaching into her back pocket to pull out some cash, "now I gotta win it for you." She drummed on the counter to get the game operator's attention, then held the money out. "Yo, I need to win that thing, okay?" She turned back to Max and frowned. "Wait,  _the_ cutest thing you've ever seen?"

_Ha! Was wondering if she'd catch that._

"Yes," Max said matter-of-factly, turning on her heel to ignore Chloe's pout. She leaned against the counter and nodded at Abigail. "So, does your mom know you're here?"

"Yeah, she knows I came with my sister and Victoria," she responded, giving a quick glance and smile at the two, "but she doesn't know you guys are here." Her lips scrunched to the side. "That's pretty awful. Thank god she doesn't know about them." Again, she gestured to her sister.

" _Thank god." Abigail doesn't really exude the religious thing as much as Kate does._

"That's sad," Max said, her shoulders sagging. She took a breath to renew her mindset and went back to Chloe. "So, how's it going?"

"Gonna nail it," she said, tossing the baseball up and down in her hand. "Gonna. Fucking. Nail. It!" She whipped her arm forward, hurling the ball at the stack of milk bottles. Her aim was a hair too low, and the ball hit the edge of the surface the bottles were set on. Quick as lightning, it ricocheted back into her ribcage with a solid thud. "Oh fuck," she whimpered, clutching herself as she bent over.

_Oh no!_

"Holy shit, Chloe!" Max took her in her arms. "Babe, are you alright!?"

"Fuuuck," Victoria laughed, cutting it off when she received a stern look from Kate.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm cool," Chloe wheezed.

"Uh, sorry about that, Miss," the man behind the booth said as he cringed.

"Come on, we don't have to win the stupid bear. Let's go so I can check to see if you have any bruises," Max said, trying to lead her away. Chloe placed her palm on Max's stomach and softly pushed her away. She stood up tall and sneered.

"Really fuckin' cute," she said, the bite in her voice much harsher than seemed appropriate. "Just...just fucking bounce off and hit me in the stomach. Awesome!" She picked up another ball, the fabric of it squeaking under her vice-like grip.

_Oh...fuck. God dammit, of course. Please stay with me, Chlo. Don't let it get into your head._

With a vicious movement, she shot the ball forward, exploding the pyramid of bottles in every direction.

"Wow, that was a hell of a shot," the man said with a nervous laugh. He looked over the scattered bottles on the floor. "You know, the game is...uh, rigged. You must have really walloped them." Chloe just pointed at the bear, and he nodded, seeming the tiniest bit frightened. "Well...congratulations! Here's your prize."

"Thanks," she said dully, handing it to Max. "Can I please be the cutest?"

"Sure babe," Max said with a half-smile, "you can be the cutest."

* * *

"I can't believe you're eating cotton candy after you threw up like that," Abigail said, looking on in awe. Victoria simply rocked herself back and forth happily as she plucked a piece of the pink fluff off and popped it into her mouth.

"She's not a quitter," Chloe laughed, in a better mood after being pulled aside and soothed by Max. Max wasn't thrilled that she still needed to chase away the black cloud that would form over Chloe whenever she got caught thinking about the other timeline. She hated how quickly and badly it could yank her mood into the abyss.

_My poor baby. I'm sorry, Chloe._

"So, where to now?" Max asked, resting her elbows on the same table they sat at before. The band from earlier had finished their set and now the stage was occupied by people singing karaoke. She found that the current rendition of Sweet Caroline left a lot to be desired.

"We could get up there and sing," Chloe said, nudging Max with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "Like a duet! Some Under Pressure shit."

_I think I'd rather have my brains kicked around the floor._

"Yeeeah, no," she chuckled, crushing the possibility right away. "Taking any and all other suggestions."

"I think I'm a little carnival'd out," Kate admitted. "I wouldn't mind just walking around for a bit more."

"That sounds like a good plan," Max agreed. "I'll finally be able to take some photos." Victoria let out a tiny gasp.

"Oooh, that's such a good idea." She scowled at her cotton candy. "I should have brought my camera, fuck."

_Rookie move. Always come prepared to take photos._

"It's okay," Kate said, consoling her with a kiss on the cheek, "you'll find good pictures in other places."

"I don't know how you use that old thing," Abigail said, watching as Max took her camera out. "I don't even...know what that's supposed to be."

"Do you know what a rotary phone is?" Chloe asked, leaning back just enough so she didn't tumble backward onto the ground.

"It's like...the one you have to spin, right?" She looked to Max for confirmation. "Yeah, that one."

"Okay, just checking," Chloe laughed. "I still have my dad's old Walkman around somewhere." Abigail angled her head curiously.

"What's a Walkman?" she asked.

According to plan, they made one final pass around the fairgrounds so Max could take photos. It was the first time she'd really been in 'artist mode' with Victoria around and she found it nice to have someone to talk with and receive advice from. Once they had completed their loop around the park, they started to leave, though they didn't want to end the night quite yet. The decision was made to get something to eat – a decision Victoria was very mixed on.

Victoria followed behind Chloe, pulling into the parking lot with the strip mall. It was just inside Arcadia Bay limits, and it was almost as if Max could feel when they crossed the line into the town. Victoria parked on the opposite end of the parking lot, and they met in the center before heading into the restaurant.

"I'm going to get some tea," Kate said in a singsong voice, practically skipping to the booth. Taking their seat, Max leaned into Chloe, resting her head on the girl's shoulder.

"I want tea too," she said. "Hey Abby, did you inherit your sister's love of tea?"

"Not really," she replied. "I like it but she's kind of a freak about it." Kate opened her mouth in insult.

"I am not a freak," she said, reaching across Victoria to playfully push Abigail.

"There's nothing wrong with being a freak," Chloe responded. "I'm sure Victoria would l-"

"Do not. Go there," Victoria narrowed her eyes dangerously, "I will kill you."

_Dammit, Chloe, I can't believe how much I have to spot you._

"I know I say this a lot," Max said, flicking the antler of the stuffed moose mindlessly, "but please do not kill my girlfriend. I'd be very sad."

"Fine," Victoria sighed, slouching in her seat. "I  _guess_ I won't feed her to a wood chipper."

"Oh man,  _do_ you think they have pulled pork?" Chloe asked, planting her palms on the table with a grin. "I could so go for that."

_Ugh, what a terrible association!_

"You are...the worst," Victoria replied.

"That...does sound kind of good, though," Kate said, thinking it over as she scanned the menu.

After finishing their meal, they still found they had some energy left and set up shop in the bed of Chloe's truck. Victoria and Kate sat on the side while Max and Chloe were on the pulled down door. Abigail sat with her back against the cab, huddling her knees contentedly.

"So, you guys are going to the prom together or what?" Chloe asked, lying down in the bed of the truck.

"Um, we haven't really talked about it," Kate said, glancing at Victoria nervously.

"Oooh. Sorry, did I just make it awkward?" Chloe bared her teeth in an apologetic smile.

"Why wouldn't you guys?" Abigail asked. "You're a couple."

_Sweet, naive Abigail._

"Uh, okay," Victoria said with a bit of irritation. "I was going to do it in a better way, but..." she turned to Kate, "will you go to prom with me?"

"Yes!" Kate wrapped her arms around her and squeezed. "I'd been hoping you'd ask!"

"Aw, yay." Max gave a thumbs up. "That's awesome. It'll be a good time..." Her expression flashed to uncertainty, "probably? I just realized that I'm still anxious about social events like that."

_So many...people..._

"Too late, you already asked me," Chloe said. "No backing out now. I'm gonna grind all up on that ass."

"Earmuffs." Max pointed at Abby, who jokingly covered her ears.

"So...how are you guys going to, you know,  _do it?_ " Abigail asked her sister. Kate's eyes bulged and she retracted her hands into her lap.

"Um, what? Why are you...asking that? That's...um..." Kate stammered, her face burning into pinkness. Victoria was mimicking her reaction, clearing her throat over and over as if buying time until she could think of something to say.

"Oh!" Abigail lurched forward and held out her hands. "No! No, no. That's...that's not what," she breathed out several gusts of breath, "not what I meant! I meant like, with Mom and Dad. I'm sure they're going to want pictures and everything."

_Wow, I've never seen Kate get so flustered._

"Oh..." Kate didn't even take the time to show relief, instead slipping into somber contemplation. "I don't know. I guess we could...pretend that we're..." she eyed Victoria guiltily, "just friends?"

_Ouch. Super no no, Kate._

"Uh, yeah," Victoria responded, seeming genuinely shocked, "we can...we can do that. Whatever works for you. I don't mind." She looked away, trying to hide her disappointment.

"I don't know," Kate repeated, "we'll figure something out. I just...don't know."

"Hey, it's alright," Max said, trying to smooth things over, "things are confusing." Kate nodded and cast her eyes downward.

"You have to be  _fucking_ kidding me," Victoria said, her words laced with venom. Kate jolted and turned to her in panic, but it was evident she wasn't talking about Kate or the current conversation at all. No, her expression was dark, strained into something wrathful. As everyone followed her gaze, they saw a man walking from the pharmacy. His eyes were aimed down into the contents of a bag, stopping him from noticing the girls right away.

_He looks familiar... oh, fuck._

"Max," Chloe whispered with a tinge of fear. She reached beside her to take the girl's hand.

_Don't look up. Just keep walking._

As if reacting to her thoughts, he brought his head up just as he was passing them and slowed to a stop. His glasses gleamed from the streetlight and he smiled.

"Well, well," he said, his face contorting into something dabbling in hatred. "Ms. Price! How lovely to see you again." His jaw tightened. "And Kate Marsh too." Then, he saw Victoria and showed curiosity more than anything negative. "Hello, Victoria. I'm...surprised to see you here. I always thought you and Nathan were very,  _very_ close." The cadence of his voice clearly carried an underlying meaning and Victoria growled.

"Go fuck yourself," she replied bitterly.

_Make that double._

"Temper," he scolded, then looked at Max and Abigail. "I'm afraid I don't recognize either of you."

_Good._

"Don't worry, I know all about you," Max said. "How's the face, by the way? I heard you accidentally ran into someone's knee." Beside her, Chloe stifled a laugh, though she remained with an uneasy expression. Abigail only looked on, distressed and confused.

"I'd watch your tongue," he said to her, his nostril flaring in anger. "Yes, I'm sure she told you all about my scuffle with Frank Bowers." He gestured to Chloe, who recoiled a bit at the movement. "Not that I expect any different from the thug who sold my son all of the drugs needed to run his little operation."

"What?" Kate asked, her face turning pale. Max's eyes grew wide and she slowly turned to the girl, gulping as her stomach did flips.

_Oh, **shit.**_

"Oh?" he laughed, "you didn't know? Chloe's friend is the one responsible for providing everything necessary to knock you out cold and drag you to that dark room. He made it all possible to take those stunning portraits."

"Kate..." Max said carefully, but the girl cut her off.

"Did you know?" she asked, her voice quiet and breaking.

"Look, Kate, we...we can explain," Chloe said, reaching for her. Kate evaded her touch.

_No, we can't. We can't explain._

"Why didn't you tell me?" She was shaking, her eyes glistening like glass.

"We're leaving," Victoria said flatly, swinging herself to the side and dropping off of the side of the truck. "Come on."

_Fuck. Fuck!_

"Kate," Max shook her head, "I'm sorry. Please, I want to talk about this." She looked at Chloe, who was just as much at a loss for words as she was. Though she was present and attentive, she was still fidgeting with her fingers, stealing glances at the man. He just looked on smugly.

"I just... I'm going to go," Kate responded. "We can...we can talk later. Come on, Abby." She hopped off the truck bed, followed by Abigail who, for the first time, looked at Max with something other than admiration.

"Okay..." Max whispered. Victoria turned to her.

"You and I will talk later," she said. "We'll figure it out, okay?" Even after all this time, the fact that Victoria was the one trying to maintain peace felt a little shocking.

"Yeah," Max said. It was all she could say.

"And you," Victoria looked the man up and down, "I hope you fucking choke and die." She stormed off, dragging Kate by the hand to her car, Abigail following closely behind.

"Sorry," he said, a pleased smile on his face. "I didn't realize Marsh didn't know. Secrets can be so...terrible." He glared at Chloe. "Come now, Price. Where's that fire of yours?"

_What is your fucking deal?_

"I can call the cops," she said, struggling to maintain eye contact. "They said to call them if you got close to me."

"That won't be necessary," he said, his lip tugging up in a snarl, "I was just on my way." As if flipping a switch, he summoned a congenial smile. It was so horribly fake that it sent shivers down Max's spine. "Have a good night!"

"He creeps me the fuck out," Chloe said, watching him go with wired eyes. "There's something wrong with him."

"I kind of feel it too," Max replied, feeling as though a shadow was being dragged off of her as the distance grew between them.

_Evil..._

"Max, look," Chloe pointed, tugging on her sleeve with her other hand, "do you see it?"

"See what?" she asked, following the trajectory of her finger. She gasped quietly, no longer able to assess just how strange it was to see the doe. It stood at the far end of the parking lot, but...instead of staring at Max like it had always done in the past, its head was following the man's movements.

_Okay, this is the first time we're both seeing it. I guess...I should find some sort of comfort in that? What's it doing here?_

He continued walking, pressing the button on his key fob, the lights of his car blinking in recognition.

And then he stopped.

He turned to the doe, or...at least in its direction. A moment passed of him returning the doe's gaze until finally, his face twisted with a look of utter disgust. He turned on his heel and hurried to his car.

"Chloe..." Max looked at her, stunned, "can...can he see it too?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Funnel cake is delicious! c:


	58. Get Thee Behind Me, Maxine

Max couldn't decide if she'd rather Kate just ignore her entirely as opposed to what she  _was_ doing. That being, in true Kate Marsh fashion, she still spoke to her and made no real effort to avoid her, but...there was just this  _thing_ hanging over both of them. A few days had passed since their night at the carnival and she still hadn't had, or been given, the opportunity to truly talk about it. So, it just festered, making her increasingly more uncomfortable as she sat across from her in class.

She did get to talk to Victoria about things, and that helped much more than she had anticipated. Victoria pointed out to her how, as different as the finer details may be, it wasn't entirely unlike her connection to Nathan and the feelings that came along with that. Though it was rather sobering to realize the people closest to Kate were only one degree away from the people who hurt her most, intentional or not. It was a miracle, she thought maybe even literally, that Kate was as trusting and loving as she was after all she'd been through.

"Okay, so," Ms. Waters said, checking the clock, "the bell should be ringing any second. I hope you all have a great spring break! I'll extend the deadline on the assignment by a week so you can try and decompress instead of still be all stressed out about school the whole time." She nodded with a grin at Stella who seemed especially pleased by the extra time. "Thought you guys might like that! And, when we-" The bell rang and students immediately stood up, severing any attention they had been giving her. "Okay! Go forth! Shoo!" she laughed as she waved her arms to the door.

"Kate, can I stop by a little later?" Max asked. The girl hesitated, then nodded.

"Sure," she said, then scooped up her books and got up from the table.

_Ugh, this is killing me._

"Dude, this fucking sucks," Max said once she was gone, burying her face in her hands.

"Welcome to life, Max," Victoria said, a little smirk painted onto her face. She reassuringly rubbed Max's shoulder. "I'll talk to her too. It'll be okay." She looked at Taylor. "What's your deal for today?"

"What do you mean what's my  _deal?_ " she asked with a hint of insult. "I'm going to get some stuff together and go home! But I'll make sure I stop by before I bounce." She laughed and let her head droop back. "When we get back, we'll have to have another little party. Because," she pointed to the back of her throat and made a muted gagging noise, "I'm going to miss you guys."

"At least it's only two weeks this time," Max chuckled, packing her supplies into her bag. "Unless I get officially excommunicated from the group." She frowned. "Kate might smite me."

"Might smite," Taylor mused, narrowing her eyes. "That sounds cool."

"She's actually upset," Victoria said, glaring at Taylor. The girl held her hands up.

"I mean, I know! But...it's Kate, you know?" She shook her head as if confused. "She forgave  _us!_  She puts her tongue in  _your_  mouth now! I think everything's going to be okay. It seems...like, obvious?"

_That's comforting in its own...Taylor-way._

"Let's hope," Max said, then shrugged, "or pray, I guess." She pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'll catch up with you guys, I have to message Chloe." Victoria and Taylor both nodded and left her be. She sighed as she tapped.

**Max:** Going to talk to Kate in a bit.  
 **Chloe:** thats good. should i come?  
 **Max:** Nah, I can handle it. Plus, you'll distract me from packing.  
 **Max:** Just like last night.  
 **Chloe:** fair point. lmk when to come getcha  
 **Max:** Will do. Love you.  
 **Chloe:** love you more  
 **Max:** Fuck OFF.

"She's always picking fights," Max mumbled to herself with a snicker. She pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder, then stood up and headed for the door.

"I see you, Max Caulfield!" Ms. Waters said. There was a brief jolt of discomfort in her throat, but she turned around. Ms. Waters leaned against her desk, smiling brightly as she beckoned Max to her. "You okay?" she asked. "You seem kind of bummed out." She pouted. "You didn't even laugh at my Man Ray joke!"

_She seems genuinely hurt by that. Aw._

"Yeah, sorry, Ms. Wa- er, Maddie," Max chuckled, "just in one of those moods. I'm okay. It was a good joke."

"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "If there's anything I can do, you know I'm open to talk about it." She glanced out the window and nodded her head. "We all have those moods sometimes, I totally get it." She turned her upper-body and picked some papers up from her desk. "Are you excited for the break? It'll be good for you to chill out."

_So much excited._

"Yes, I'm pretty hyped about it," Max admitted. "I'm going home to Seattle for the first time since starting here. Bringing my girlfriend with me, too!" Ms. Waters raised her eyebrows and gave Max a quick look up and down, then smiled.

"That  _will_ be cool. Has she ever met them before?" she asked.

"I actually used to live here when I was younger, so they know her from then. We were best friends since, man, I don't even know," Max said. With a bit of a devious grin, Ms. Waters leaned close to her.

"Does she go here?" she whispered. "Do I know her?"

_Is my teacher trying to gossip with me about my own love life? Why is that so endearing?_

"No, but she used to," Max replied. "You might have seen her around, though. She's here all the time. Long, blue hair? Always looks like she's jamming to loud music in her head? Her name's Chloe Price."

"I'll have to keep an eye out," Ms. Waters said with a wink. Then she furrowed her brow in thought. "Wait, Chloe Price...that does sound familiar. Where have I heard that before?"

_Ah, right. I'm sure she was fully debriefed._

"Oh," Max bared her teeth awkwardly, "you probably heard she was the one who was...uh, shot in the bathroom?"

"Holy shit," Ms. Waters said, her eyes going wide, "that's crazy! God, I still can't believe all of that happened. So horrible. I'm so glad to hear she's okay!" She took in a small, sharp breath and squinted. "I just cursed, huh?"

"You did," Max giggled. "Don't worry, I won't tell anybody." She looked left and right, despite there being no one else in the room. "Not a fucking soul," she whispered.

"Ooooh!" Ms. Waters laughed, "okay, tit for tat. That's fair. I'll let that one slide and we can keep all of it our little secret."

"Heh, deal," Max said with a smirk. "Do, uh, you have plans for the spring break?"

_It's still hard to imagine teachers...living lives outside of school._

"Oh, not a lot," she said. "Mostly rest... Teaching is  _very_ tiring." She was sure to add another wink, which seemed to be one of her 'things.'

"I can imagine," Max responded. "I'm sure it's hard dealing with..." she turned and looked over the classroom, "this. Especially, um, you know..." Ms. Waters' face sunk into a dreary expression and Max cleared her throat. "I just wanted to let you know, you're doing a great job."

"Thanks," she said, her shoulders showing signs of relief, "I really am trying."

"It shows," Max said. "You have me excited about photography all over again. It's really nice."

"That means a lot to me." She smiled and pointed to Max's bag. "I love that you're doing the old, instant camera thing. I guess a lot of people probably find it pretentious, but I certainly know the appeal. It's unique." She gave Max a friendly push on the shoulder. " _You're_ unique. I think you have bright things ahead of you. Just," she lazily swooped her hands through the air, "don't stress. Go with the flow. Ride the current. Eventually you'll reach that point where it all comes together."

_How zen. Maybe I could use more zen._

"I sure hope so," Max chuckled. "Thanks. I hope you get all the rest you need."

"Oh, believe me, I'll be comatose for the first two days," Ms. Waters said, rubbing her hands together, "then I'll probably catch up on some of my shows. It'll be oh so divine."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Max snickered. "Have a good break, Maddie."

"You too, Max," she said.

* * *

Max slowly meandered through the courtyard, taking in the signs of spring around her. The grass was lush, greener than it seemed it should be and soft, cradling each of her steps with cushion. Justin was riding in small circles on his skateboard, and he gave Max a subtle 'what's up' nod, which made her feel, to her embarrassment, cool to able to return. Hayden and Logan sat under the Tobanga, looking as relaxed and carefree as ever. Then she saw Stella and Alyssa sitting on the furthest bench, books in each of their hands as they talked.

_Man, I should really get more into that book club they have. It's good to broaden my geek horizons._

"Hey, Max!" Warren said, coming out of the dorm with Brooke in tow. He hurried over, stopping with a tiny hop that landed right in front of her. "What's up? Getting ready to leave?"

"Yeah, I'm going to pack right now," she said. "What about you guys?"

"I won't get out of here until tomorrow," Warren replied. "But that's okay, I have big plans for this break!"

"Oh, do you?" Max asked with a tint of amusement.

_Gonna marathon all two hundred season of Doctor Who?_

"We're going to the Portland Aquarium," Brooke said, smiling with excitement. "I've never been, but I love ocean life. They discover new species all the time and it's just so...mysterious." She snorted happily. "It's basically a science freak's dream."

"That does sound very cool," Max said. "I've thought before about how fun it'd be to photograph that sort of thing. There's this series on sea turtles that I love, they look so majestic. Like you can see how they move even in a still image."

_Aaaand imagine them talking in surfer slang. Surf's up._

"You could use your skills for science," Warren said. "Forget all that American Beauty plastic bag crap, I mean...you could help make discoveries!"

"Hey, I like my 'plastic bag crap' thank you very much," Max chided. She looked up at the dormitories and released a small huff. "Okay, I really do need to get in there and pack. Chloe's dying to come pick me up. If I don't see you guys, have a nice vacation."

"You too," Brooke replied.

"Yeah," Warren said, "text to let me know you get there safe?"

"Will do, son," Max laughed as she walked away.

As Max made her way to her room, she stopped outside of Kate's door and frowned. She felt terrible that, not only did she keep something so serious from her, but that she and Chloe both laughed about it at the time. Then Sean Prescott, as it seemed was the Prescotts style, showed up to ruin things. Not that it justified her actions, but she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't have preferred it remaining a secret. Sadly, she entered her room.

She'd only been packing for ten minutes or so before she thought it'd be a better use of her time to kill two birds with one stone. She sent her parents a text and received a response just a minute later. Accidentally stepping into a dirty pair of jeans on the floor, she hobbled over to the laptop and opened Skype. She kicked her leg behind her to get rid of the pants and clicked the small phone icon. After a second, the screen opened up to reveal her mother.

"Hey sweetie!" she said, waving at the camera, "you almost ready!?"

_So fucking ready!_

"Yup! Just need to finish packing," Max responded with chuckle, holding up the empty suitcase.

"Procrastinating... You definitely get that from me," her mother said. "But, oh, we're just so excited to see you!" She brought her hands to her chest and closed her eyes. "We've missed you so, so much. And I can't wait to see Chloe again after all this time!"

"She's freaking out about it," Max laughed, shoveling clothes into the suitcase with little care.

"Why is she freaking out?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't know. She thinks you guys are going to like...hate her or something?" Max turned to the camera and shrugged. "It sounds silly, but then again, I was the same way with Joyce."

_I believe the word 'harlot' came up..._

"Oh gosh," her mother rolled her eyes, "we do not hate her! We love her! She's our Chloe!"

_**My**  Chloe._

"I've tried telling her that!" Max pondered for a moment before tossing another shirt into the suitcase. "It's kind of cute, though. She's so cocksure about a million and one things, but when she  _does_ get anxious it's like...adorable."

"She does sound like she has the whole puppy dog thing going on," Vanessa said with a smile. "I never expected little Chloe to turn into such a...badass." She fluttered her hair over her shoulder. "I wish I were brave enough to dye my hair like that."

_Mom might actually look good with some color in her hair._

"No time like the present, Mom," Max snickered. "Hey, do I need to bring anything specific? I'm kind of just...throwing clothes in here."

"Just open arms ready for hugging!" Her mother gave an opened mouth smile, aware of how corny it sounded.

"Ugh, Mom," Max groaned. "Yes, I'll be sure to pack that. But is there anything else?"

"Mmn," Vanessa looked around her, "no, I don't think so. Your father would probably appreciate stealing any baked goods Joyce has lying around."

"I'll see what I can do," Max laughed. "Alright, let me finish up here. I'll let you guys know when we leave tomorrow."

"Sounds good!" her mother said.

"Give Pop my hugs. Love you, Mom." She waved at the screen.

"Love you too, honey!" She made a kissy face, and Max ended the call with a loving roll of her eyes.

_Okay, okay. Just a little bit more and then...try to figure things out with Kate. God, if you're there, I could really use a hand on this one._

* * *

"Kate?" Max asked, knocking quietly on the girl's door.

"You can come in," she responded. Max sighed and opened the door and found Kate sitting at her desk.

"Hey," she said, cautiously approaching her from behind. "What are you up to?" She cringed.

_Don't try to pretend like everything's cool, you ass._

"I'm just checking some last minute stuff before my dad gets here," Kate said. "I'm a little nervous about going back home. Everything has settled down, but obviously there's kind of a bigger issue I need to deal with. And Victoria won't even be here."

_I didn't expect her to actually answer that._

"You shouldn't feel pressured to say anything you think might cause trouble," Max said. "I know that it's a really...messy situation. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Kate shrugged, then turned in her chair to look at Max, "Vic's been acting kind of strange since the other night. I think...I really upset her."

"It...uh, okay, I admit it might have been a bit cold." Max winced as she said it. "I know that she understands, but I don't think that makes it hurt any less." She nodded her head in realization, then exhaled somberly. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you."

_Here we go..._

"Why didn't you?" Kate asked.

"I don't know. We just..." Max shook her head and held her hand out, "we didn't even think about it until we were all there. He's a good guy. I don't think either of us even associate him with that, you know? And then once we were there, it just seemed like a bad time to bring it up."

"You could have told me after," Kate said, keeping Max's eyes locked with her own. Again, part of her wished she'd just look angry instead of wearing that 'I'm trying to understand' face.

_Disappointment hurts so much more than anger._

"I know," Max admitted. "It's no excuse. We're supposed to be friends and we fucked up really bad. I mean, I understand if you hate us."

"Oh come  _on,_ " Kate said, an ember of anger in her voice, "everyone's always expecting me to hate them. It's like you guys don't know me at all. Of course I don't hate you. I love you. Both of you. You're my best friends. You saved my  _fucking_ life!"

_Aw man, I've only heard her say that once before. I guess I get the anger as well as the disappointment._

"I...I don't know what to say," Max said, looking at the floor. "We don't have an excuse. I guess we just wanted to protect you."

_That's been a recurring theme lately._

"You  _do_ protect me," she replied. "Every single day! You don't think I can understand that Frank didn't know what the drugs were being used for? Please, give me  _some_ credit, Max."

"You're right." Max took a seat on Kate's couch and buried her face in her hands. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Does Frank know?" she asked. Max looked up and screwed one eye shut guiltily. "That...sucks. What did he say?"

_Fuck, please don't be compassionate now, Kate. That just makes this worse._

"I mean, he feels horrible. I don't...I don't know if you know this, but he and Rachel had a thing." Max nervously ran a hand through her hair. "He helped kill the girl he loved."

"That's...awful," Kate said, closing her eyes, "that poor man."

"That's why he wanted to help you with the whole mom explosion thing," Max said. "He's been asking after you a lot."

"That's sweet of him." Kate leaned forward and seemed to contemplate something. "I know he wasn't doing good things. Selling drugs isn't okay.  _But_ I can understand that sometimes life just puts you in a position that you feel trapped in." With a bit of exasperation, she gestured over her shoulder to Victoria's room. "I know you both helped him get a job at The Two Whales. He's trying to make things right."

"Yes, he is." Max nodded. "He's doing so well lately. I'm really proud of him." She angled her eyes upward and scrunched her lips to the side. "So...you're not angry at him?"

"I'm angry at  _you,_ " she said, crinkling her brow. The words felt like a punch to the gut. "Max, we're...we all have something really special. I don't know if you stop to think about it like I do." She dragged a knuckle under one of her eyes, only furthering the feeling of cement in Max's stomach. "I was  _drugged_  and  _assaulted._ He took pictures of me, Max. Pictures that a room full of people will look at over and over again when deciding his fate." She stood up and hurried to the box of tissues on the dresser. "But not only me, we were all affected. You, me, Chloe, Victoria... We are all attached to this thing. We're bonded for life over it." She shrugged with a look of desperation. "We have to be honest with each other. We have to be  _real._ I don't mean little things, little lies that everyone tells, but for things that matter, you  _owe me_ honesty."

_You're right, Kate. Man, I feel like shit._

"Kate..." Max shook her head and got to her feet.

"If you had just  _talked to me,_ " Kate said, frustration clear in her voice. " _That's_  why I'm mad.  _That's_  why I'm hurt. That you felt you couldn't just talk to me. I thought I at least earned that from you."

"That's...not what it was," Max said, her voice slinking quieter. "We just didn't think about it. It was just us being stupid."

"I just don't want to feel like I'm overestimating how much we mean to each other," Kate said, wiping her eyes with the tissue.

_What? No. No way._

"Kate, god, no," Max said, taking a step toward her. "Kate, we love you so much. You have no idea what I'd go through to make sure you were safe." She wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "I'd stop everything to help." Kate trembled in her arms and released a pained whimper, then sobbed a moment later as she clutched Max tightly.

"I know. I do know," she said, crying freely, "it just hurt that you'd keep it from me. I hope you don't feel like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, it just... I look up to you so much. You're my hero."

"Shh," Max rubbed her back and rocked her side to side, "you've got it backwards. You're the hero. Your smile is like...god, I don't even know. I'd eat a thousand forbidden apples to make it happen. Just like, get  _so_ evicted from Eden."

"It was probably a pomegranate," Kate laughed, pulling out of the hug and wiping her eyes once again.

"What, really?" Max asked. She scowled. "I don't...like pomegranates. Is five hundred okay?"

"I think that works," Kate nodded, sobbing again as she laughed.

"Okay, good," Max chuckled. She leaned forward to look in Kate's eyes. "Are we...okay?"

_Please say yes._

"We're okay," she said. "We always  _were_ okay. I wouldn't let that end our friendship. I just wanted you to understand."

"I do," Max said. "I really do. And I'm sorry again. From now on, honesty all the way."

"Thanks, Max." Kate hugged her once more, nuzzling into her shoulder. "You're the best."

"Nah, that's you," Max said. "You have a good break, okay? Call me or Chloe anytime if you need us. We're here for you. Always."

"I will." Kate released a gust of breath. "Oh man, I'm so tired now. I think I need to lie down for a nap. All that 'stern Kate' action made me dizzy for a second there."

"I imagine you're not used to getting all assertive," Max laughed, tucking a strand of Kate's hair behind her ear. "I'll let you get a bit of rest. And I'll see you in just two short weeks, okay?"

"Okay." Kate gave her one final hug, then sat down on the bed. Smiling and feeling a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, Max made for the door.

_Well, fuck. Taylor was right._

* * *

"Alright, I sent her a really long text," Chloe said, slipping into bed next to Max, "my thumbs hurt."

"I'd say that's the least you could do," Max giggled, snuggling up to her.

"Yeah, you got that right..." Chloe tapped Max on the stomach, "hey, thanks for doing all the heavy lifting on that. I really had no idea how to handle it."

"I'm sure you would've figured it out as it you went. That's basically what happened with me." Max yawned and kicked her feet out straight. "You ready for tomorrow?"

_Like I don't already know the answer._

"Yes and noooo," Chloe snickered. "I don't know why I'm so fucking nervous."

"Because you're a dork." Max brought Chloe's fingers to her lips and kissed them. "It'll go away as soon as we get there. Promise."

"Cool, so just a long as fuck car ride to soak it all in, then," she laughed. Max whacked her on the shoulder.

"Oh, would you stop?" she scolded.

"Can't. Won't," Chloe laughed. "I don't know. I'm sure I'll shake it off, just like you said." She narrowed her eyes and a contemplative hum bounced around in her mouth. "Know what I can't shake off, though? That fucking doe."

_The fucking doe is right._

"Yeeeah," Max exhaled and shook her head, "it's been wigging me out too."

"Like, okay," Chloe propped herself up on her elbow, "we know time travel is real and fucking crazy. Like, there's a big checkmark next to that. But...what the  _fuck_ is that doe?"

"I...have no clue," Max admitted. "It's like a ghost. A ghost doe."

"Yeah, a ghost doe. Doesn't it freak you out that we've been seeing some freaky-ass spirit doe and that's like..." she shook her head, "how much clothing do you have with does on it?" She huffed a frustrated growl left her throat. "And let's not forget the big, blue butterfly that happened to be the key to fixing everything." She wiggled her shoulder, drawing attention to her tattoo. "I don't know, man. I can't tell if we're fucking crazy."

"I wouldn't rule it out, honestly," Max said, nibbling her lip. "But we're functional. Functional crazy."

"What if  _he_  could see it, though?" Chloe asked.

_She's been thinking about this a lot..._

"I don't know." Max stroked Chloe's cheek softly. "I know that's a shitty answer, but I really don't." She shrugged. "Maybe he was looking at something on the ground and it was just a crazy coincidence."

"Yeah," Chloe mumbled, "maybe. I don't know. My head's been such a fucking mess lately."

"I know," Max said, sitting up to give her a kiss, "I know it's been hard. But starting tomorrow, we're going to be able to just try and forget about all that. No work, no school. Just you and me. Right?"

"Right," Chloe said, "and your scary parents."

"Oh dear lord in heaven," Max groaned. "I'm going to smother you with a pillow."

"Fuckin' do it," Chloe growled, grabbing tight hold of Max's shoulders and pressing her into the bed. "Do it, bitch."

_Oooh, I love when you get all threatening about being threatened._

"I have to wait for you to be asleep," she replied calmly.

"Coward," Chloe scoffed, smiling impishly. Then, she grew quiet and lowered herself back onto the bed, resting her head on Max's chest. "Hey, I know I say this kind of a lot, but...I'm so happy you came back. I missed you so much."

"I missed you," Max said, stroking her hair, "but I'm here now. And it's seriously the best. Beyond my wildest dreams."

"Uh huh." Chloe held her closer, nestling her cheek into Max's breast. "You're worth every single bad one. I'd have a million more just so this could be real."

_That's sweet but...man. I hate it._

"Luckily," Max said, relief on her face, "that's not necessary. It's real right now. Let's not tempt the fates for more bad dreams."

"Psht," Chloe smirked, "fuck the fates. Beat 'em once, we'll beat 'em again."


	59. (Re)Meet The Parents

"So, we're like...what, about halfway there?" Chloe asked, looping her arm with Max's and yanking her close to her.

"I'd say so, yeah. I didn't really pay attention when my parents brought me back," she responded. She stopped to examine a display of flowers outside of the quaint, side-of-the-road store. "Look at this, you can definitely tell spring has sprung."

_Is that an idea I feel coming on?_

"Yeah, they're pretty..." Chloe said it contemplatively, then picked up one of the flowerpots. "Do you know what kind of flowers your mom likes?"

"Mmn," Max tilted her head in thought, "I don't know. Hyacinths, maybe? Bleeding hearts?" Chloe nodded.

"Uh, okay, I can..." she set the flowers down and scooped up a pot of bleeding hearts, "I can get both. That sounds good. Yeah. Yeah, okay!" She turned to Max and smiled wide with a thumbs up.

"Trying to curry favor?" Max teased. "You're still freaking out, huh?"

_Yesssssssssssssss._

"Dude, yes," Chloe laughed. "I mean, okay, maybe I'm playing it up a little for comedic effect but my stomach is definitely in laundromat mode."

"You're such a goober," Max replied, hanging her head with an affectionate spark in her eyes. "Okay, come on, we'll get her the flowers."

"Sweet, okay." Chloe picked up a collection of hyacinths as well. "Now we gotta find something for Big Daddy C-Field."

"Uh, what," Max said, regarding her with amusement. "I think just calling him that might suffice. He'll be very happy to have a rapper-esque name."

"Oh, nice!" Chloe grinned, pleased with herself. "But we should still grab something with monetary value. Just to be safe."

"If you think it's necessary..." Max chuckled, pulling the girl into the store with her.

Despite spending years on fire with the desire to escape Arcadia Bay, when it was finally time to say goodbye to Joyce and David earlier that morning, Chloe found it surprisingly difficult. It took far longer than she anticipated, spending a half hour standing by the front door as she talked with them. She appreciated that Max didn't rush her, and knew that it probably just made her happy to see another display of mended relationships between Chloe and her family. And sure, as much as she liked to play the part of reluctant brat, the way David slipped her a twenty dollar bill for gas money with that sneaky glint in his eye just cemented how great everything had turned out.

The ride up to that point had been relaxed, and maybe she'd even say fun. Blasting music with the windows down and screaming along to the songs was invigorating. Plus, being able to see what her truck could do on the open highway lit her up with a feeling she could only describe as 'finally.' Finally, she knew what it felt like to leave Arcadia Bay with a further destination in mind. Not just a town over, but finally seeing another 'part' of the world. Finally, finally, finally. And of course, Max being by her side made it all the sweeter. She wouldn't have it any other way.

It did make her think of Rachel, though, and there was a somberness in that. She had long moved past any tumultuous feelings that bloomed from her heart, but still, she was saddened to know this was something they had talked about doing countless times and that Rachel would never get to experience it. She thought about the rest of her life as well and how Rachel would fit into it. She could just imagine her at all of the friend gatherings. Imagine her coming in to pester her and Frank at the Two Whales. One of the parts of her dream from the alternate reality that hadn't really bothered her until later, once the obvious issues had calmed down, was that she didn't even know Rachel in that timeline. It was just one more unimaginable concept that her dreams had brought to her attention.

"He likes sports, right?" Chloe asked, holding up a mug with a local college logo on it. "He...sports?"

"He does," Max laughed, taking the mug from her hand and setting it down. "He's a Seahawks fan. We won the Super Bowl this year. Remember? We watched it with Dana and the gang?"

"Ohh, right," Chloe said, narrowing her eyes, "that was the, uh...they fought the Stallions?"

_The...Horses. The Equines?_

"Broncos!" Max leaned forward, bumping her forehead against Chloe's arm. She picked up a different mug with the appropriate logo. "This one."

"Alright, sick," Chloe chuckled, placing it into the basket hanging from her forearm. She took a deep breath, then looked around the store. "They are all over the place in here. There's like...a deli in that corner by the electronics?"

"They do seem rather, ehm, self-sustaining?" Max shrugged, deciding that was a good enough word for it. "It's cute though, very...uh, unconventional, yeah?" She smiled awkwardly at the sound of a butcher's knife hacking into a table. "Where the fuck  _are_ we?"

_Rod Serling would be all over this place._

"Is there a Bermuda Triangle for the Pacific Northwest?" Chloe asked, snickering as she continued down the aisle.

"Mmn, yeah, I think we just left it this morning," Max said, dragging her finger along the sudden row of pillows, pressing it into each one.

"Well, if that ain't the creepy truth," Chloe said. She raised an eyebrow as a chirp came from Max's pocket and she took out her phone. "Who dat?"

"Mom," she replied, "she says not to eat anything on the way because they're taking us out to dinner."

_Fucking swell._

"Dude, are you fucking joking me?" Chloe groaned and let her head roll backward. "I don't have the wardrobe for 'dinner!' I have the wardrobe for 'wow, no one caught that girl that stage dived!'"

"Chloe Elizabeth," Max said, her voice slow and scolding, "do not stage dive. You'll get crushed. Like Mufasa."

_Never forget._

"You know my heart stops when you bring out the middle name, right?" Chloe asked. She laughed as they headed toward the checkout counter. "We'll see what happens when you and I hit our first show. I can't promise I won't be riding the people waves. Shredding the gnar, if you will."

"I will not," Max giggled. She gave a friendly smile to the man behind the counter. "Hi! How are you?"

"Doin' fine," he answered, scanning the items with the price gun, "can't really complain, you know?"

_I both do and do not know._

"Yep, I hear ya, dude," Chloe said. "So, what's the damage?"

"Looks like $32.47," he said, then smirked, "special occasion with the flowers?"

"Yeah," Chloe sighed, "we're visiting her parents and I'm all flustered about it so I figured some gifts would at the very least make me feel better." She pulled the money out of her wallet, thumbed through it as she counted, and handed it to him.

"Oh?" He seemed confused. "Visiting her parents? Are they not well?"

"No, they're fine," Max said, "she just thinks they're going to kill her for some reason. She's silly."

"It's not silly," Chloe argued. She turned to him. "You understand how stressful it can be to hang out around your significant others parents, right?" She smiled at him, but it slowly dropped off her face when he only looked back uncomfortably.

"I...see," he said, handing her the change.

_Uh oh, what have we here?_

"Seeee  _what?_ " Chloe asked, leaning forward and growing a wolfish grin.

"Chloe, let's just go," Max said, shaking her head with a snicker. Chloe held her hand up to her as a show of 'I got this.'

"I wanted to know what that look was about, is all," she said, her body swaying with impish delight.

_Oh, please, give me a good reason to go off. I'm begging you, my dude._

"It's nothing," he responded, realizing he'd committed a customer service faux pas.

_Hmm. Fine. Okay, buddy._

"Oh, okay," she said, backing off and beaming at him. "Welp," she snatched the bag off the counter, along with one of the flowerpots while Max took the other, "we're gonna make like a gun and..." she winked at him, "bang."

"O-okay," he stammered, glancing away uneasily, "have a good day."

"Thanks! You too!" Chloe said, giving him the middle finger as she followed Max out of the store.

Pleased with herself, she gracefully spun around in the parking lot, giggling with a demonic flair.

"That was a bit much," Max laughed, "you don't even know if that's why he was acting that way."

"Oh, I could tell," Chloe responded, digging out her keys. "I'm like a fucking hawk with that sh-" She stopped and gasped, gesturing to an empty parking spot. "What in  _the_ fuck!? Where is my truck!? This is where I parked!" She turned to Max, her jaw hanging open. "Where the fuck?! Did someone steal it!?"

_WHO WOULD EVEN STEAL THAT PIECE OF SHIT!?_

"Babe," Max said slowly with a chuckle, "it's right over there." She nodded her head to somewhere behind Chloe. She spun around to find the truck sitting at the far end of the parking lot. "Nice one, Ms. Hawk. Between the bloodlust and your nerves, you're totally losing it."

_Wow, that was impressively lame._

"Okay," Chloe pouted, heading in the correct direction, "there's no need for bullying." She exhaled, her lips flapping as she rolled her eyes. "Whatevs. You think the flowers will be cool for the rest of the ride?"

" _Here you go, Mrs. Caulfield! Dead plants!"_

"Yeah, I'm sure they will be," Max said, feeling underneath the pot, "it's moist so I think they've been recently watered."

"Say moist again," Chloe said, wiggling her eyebrows and sticking her tongue through her teeth in anticipation.

"Moist-uh," she said, stressing every inch of the word as she got into the truck.

* * *

"So...yeah, left here and my house is just down the street," Max said, pointing through the windshield.

_Wait, what!?_

"Jesus, already!?" Chloe tore the cigarette out of her mouth and whipped it out the window. "Fuck, fuck," she swore, jerking the truck to a stop as she reached across Max and opened the glove compartment. She grabbed a pack of Tic Tacs, flicking the tab open in a crazed manner. She poured a generous amount into her hand, then shot them into her mouth.

_Please absorb all of my ashy mouth. I beg you, Tic Tac gods._

"You know your clothes are still going to smell like smoke, right?" Max teased, leaning against the door smugly.

"Mmn, yeah..." Chloe reached into her mouth and scraped out a glob of chewed up Tic Tacs, then rubbed her fingers on her sleeve as if coating herself. Max squeaked in laughter and lunged toward her.

"Don't be nasty!" She grabbed the girl's head, one hand on top and the other under her jaw. "Don't make me take those away from you." Chloe stuck her tongue out, accompanied by a 'blaaaah' sound. Max giggled and leaned forward, kissing her.

The honk of car horn startled them, causing Max to jerk forward, than back as her seat belt went taut. Chloe cursed under her breath with a chuckle.

_Whoops, not great driver's awareness._

"Forgot we were in the middle of the road," she said. "Well, at least they got a brief show."

"Yeah, forreal," Max laughed, turning around to look through the rear window. Her eyes went wide, followed by the quiet smack of her forehead hitting it. "Of course..." she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Chloe asked. Instead of saying anything, Max turned back around and pointed to the driveway of a rather large home. Chloe took one quick breath, as if crossing the threshold might indeed set her on fire, and pulled in. "Oh...my fucking god," she whispered, watching in the rearview as the car pulled in behind them.

_This is a nightmare. This is a goddamn nightmare._

"Well, this is cool," Max snickered, then swung her door open. Chloe gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white, then sighed and did the same. "Hi Dad!" Max shouted, skipping over to Ryan as he got out of the car. He snagged her into a tight hug, lifting her off of the ground.

"Max! God, I've missed you!" He rocked her side to side, adding a little kiss to her forehead.

"I missed you too," she responded as she was set back down. Then she whacked the back of her hand against his stomach. "What's up with the new car? You guys didn't tell me about that."

"Oh, yeah," he said, "the Honda crapped out on us a few months ago. Wasn't worth it to get it fixed."

"I'll miss that thing," Max said. She raised her arm behind her, discreetly beckoning Chloe over.

_Alright, Chloe. Game time._

She slowly approached them, playing with her fingers nervously and daring not make eye contact for as long as possible. Finally working up the courage, she looked up at him and smiled.

"I like the Seahawks," she said, then winced. "Er, I mean, hi Mr. Caulfield..." He stared at her dumbly for a moment, then boomed laughter.

"Wow, your mom said she was nervous but I didn't really expect this level of intensity," he said to Max. He took a step toward her and opened his arms, regarding her warmly. "Hi, Chloe." She looked him up and down, hesitating for just a moment before she charged into his arms, gripping him tightly and letting just a few tears leak out.

"I missed you," she said, pressing her face into his shoulder, "you have no idea how much."

_I didn't think I'd ever see you again..._

"We missed you too," he responded, giving her a quick rub on her back once he noticed her crying. "So happy to finally see you again. We've been so excited." A whirring sound came from beside them, and she looked to see Max grinning as she pulled a photograph out of her camera.

"Oh come on, I had to. This is adorable," she said.

"Not even three minutes and she already has the camera out," he chuckled. He took a step back from Chloe and placed a hand on her head. "Look how grown up you are! I can barely believe it." His eyes crinkled at the edges with a smile. "Sorry about beeping at you."

_Oh. No, thank you. No._

"It's, uh, no problem," she said, smiling back guiltily. "Did you, um, see...anything?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked. Her shoulders slouched as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Nothing. Just...being a weirdo!" She held her hands out as if displaying herself, like that might help convince him.

"Alright," he shrugged nonchalantly, "well, let's get your things and go inside. Vanessa's been pacing for the last week." He reached into the bed of the truck and pulled out both of their suitcases, while Chloe rushed to the other side and took the flowerpots. "So," he said, "how did you  _make out_ on the drive?" He was sure to stress 'make out.'

_Graaah cool._

"She..." Chloe pointed at Max, jerking the hyacinths with her hand, "she started it."

"Well  _that_ doesn't surprise me," he snarked.

"Hey," Max pouted, aiming an index finger at him.

"Sorry," he chuckled, "come on."

If there was any solace in Chloe's bitter ramblings against Max for five years, it was that at least she had guessed right on how big her house was. She'd guess that the Caulfields fell somewhere in the upper middle class, and the idyllic neighborhood did a good job of getting that point across. In an act of rebellion against her former rebellious self, she'd admit she kind of loved it.

_Never thought the picket fence thing would appeal to me but...it's sort of awesome._

"Vanessa?" Ryan called, setting the suitcases by the door, "some girls just showed up outside. I don't think they're girl scouts."

"Oh my god!" A voice came from upstairs, followed by the quick patter of footsteps. Vanessa appeared at the top of the staircase and released a joyous shriek, hurrying down while flailing her arms. Chloe held out her hands, a flowerpot settled in each one.

"Hi, Mrs. Caulfield. I got y-" Her words were strangled as an arm looped around her neck, yanking her into Vanessa's embrace. She must have roped Max in with the other arm, as their heads bonked together.

_Shit, I almost dropped the flowers!_

"I'm so happy to see you!" she shouted, her knees springing up and down as she hugged them.

"Mom, you're choking me," Max wheezed, tapping Vanessa on the arm. "Uncle! Uncle!"

"Oh, whoops!" Vanessa laughed, a bit embarrassed as she let them go, "sorry about that..."

"Hell of a grip you got there," Chloe chuckled. She reclaimed her stance and held out the flowers again. "I got you these."

"They're beautiful! Thank you so much!" Vanessa took them, gave each a big whiff, and pranced down the hall where she set them on a table before returning to them. "I know just where to put them!" With a visible display her recollecting herself, she breathed out slowly. "Okay, let me try again," she said, giving Max a much more tempered hug. "I'm so glad you're home, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom. Glad to be home," Max replied with a lovely sincerity. Once she let go of Max, Vanessa turned to Chloe.

"Holy cow, just look at you," she said with a bright smile. This time, Chloe was the one to initiate the hug, savoring it just as much as she did Ryan's. "You're so beautiful, it's crazy."

_Wowsers... Oh, dammit, Max._

"Oh god," Chloe laughed, hiding her blush, "thank you." She stepped back and looked at each of them. "You guys look great too. Barely any different at all."

"You think?" Vanessa asked, twisting and turning in demonstration, then she clapped her hands. "Ah, I'm so excited! Come on, we need to catch up!" She took hold of both Max and Chloe's hand and led them into the living room.

_Jesus, this place is nice. I almost don't want to sit on anything._

"How was the drive?" Vanessa asked, taking a seat next to Ryan on the couch.

"It was okay," Max said, "didn't take too long at all, really." She settled into the loveseat, patting the space beside her for Chloe.

"Yeah! I've never really had the opportunity to drive that far with my truck. The ol' girl held up pretty well," Chloe added.

_Proud of that thing._

"That's good to hear," Ryan chuckled. "You guys did make good time. I was worried there might be bad traffic."

"Only for a little bit," Max said. She brought her hands to her stomach and pouted, then moved to place one of them on Chloe's and pouted even more. "I'm not trying to be rude, but we haven't eaten all day. Our stomachs sound like humpback whales."

"Well, you're in luck!" Vanessa said, checking her watch. "Our reservations are in about forty-five minutes. We should leave in ten to make sure we get there in time."

"Is this okay to wear?" Chloe asked, pinching the collar of her shirt.

_I wish I packed my cool, hipster sweater. I don't even care how warm it is._

"Yeah, that's fine," Ryan said. "It's not that fancy."

"Okay, cool," Chloe giggled, "I was worried."

* * *

_You are a fucking liar, Mr. Caulfield._

"Reservation for four," Vanessa said, holding up four fingers. The host nodded in recognition, picked up some menus, then led them to a table. The waiter swooped in immediately to get their drink order, and Chloe took note of his bow tie.

_Hmm. I like our uniform better._

"This place is...kinda fancy," Chloe said, looking around. "Expensive?"

"Don't worry about it," Ryan responded, picking up his menu. "I mean it, get whatever you want. It's fine."

"Do you want to do sharesies?" Max asked, keeping her eyes on the menu.

"Yeah, I'm cool with that," Chloe replied. "I think I kind of want steak?"

_Been a while since I've had an actual, nice steak. Dad always used to grill them..._

"That's a good choice, I'll probably do the same," Ryan said.

"Okay," Max said, "is medium okay? I don't like it past that."

"Uh huh." Chloe flipped through the pages, of which there were more than she could've ever dreamed, and found the proper section. "What do you have your eye on?"

"I don't even know," Max giggled. She tapped on the drink page and made a quiet 'oooh' sound. "Babe, look. That Bloody Mary has bacon in it. Isn't that weird?"

_Woah, these people are crazy._

"Huh," Chloe leaned into her as she read it, "and pickles? I could snake some bacon from Two Whales and we could try it with the girls. What sauce do they use?"

"Says Tabasco," Max answered. She quickly glanced up at her parents and smiled. "Hi! Forgot what was going on for a second."

_Meeee too._

"I see that," Vanessa said with a smirk. "You're drinking now?"

"A...little, yeah," Max admitted.

"That's interesting," Ryan mused, then turned to Chloe. "Did you start her on that?"

_Bad influence. BAD INFLUENCE._

" _Uhhh,_ " Chloe's eyes were big as she drummed on the table. She was still making the noise when Max kindly answered for her.

"It's social," she explained, "and we're responsible."

_Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh._

"Oh, what?" Ryan laughed, "I'm not mad. Just curious. There's literally nothing we could do to stop you even if we wanted." He smiled at Chloe and snapped his fingers. "You still in there?"

_Uhhhhhh- oh what?_

"Sorry, what? I think I turned off for a sec," she droned.

"Let's not terrorize her anymore," Vanessa said, laying her hand on Ryan's arm.

"I wasn't even trying to!" he responded.

"Yes, no more of that," Max said, looking away from them slowly and back to the menu, "I was thinking either salmon or duck. And then we'd just each get different sides to have all our bases covered."

"You eat duck?" Chloe asked. "They quack."

"I have before, yeah," Max chuckled. "Does that sound weird to you? We can do salmon."

"I'll try whatever," Chloe laughed, "they just quack."

"We'll...do salmon," Max assured, patting Chloe's hand.

With perfect timing, the waiter came by just as everyone had made their final decisions. Chloe watched him carefully, picking up on all of the cues she'd never have noticed before becoming a waitress herself. She'd even found a little pride in how she no longer needed to write orders down, and playfully mocked him in her mind.

_Get on my level, bro. Though, I guess you do have a lot more to remember... Still! Get on my level!_

"So, how's school been?" Vanessa asked once the waiter had gone away.

"It's very...school-y," Max responded, "but the new photography teacher is so awesome! I like her a lot."

"That's very good news," Ryan said, and there was a visible attempt to not head down the obvious path the conversation could take. "I hope you've been keeping up on your schoolwork."

"Yes," Max groaned, "thanks to this one." She pointed a thumb beside her at Chloe. "She gets on me all the time to do my homework and everything. Like a drill sergeant."

_Good influence! We're back at zero, nice._

"Good!" Vanessa gave a satisfied nod to Chloe. "Someone needs to keep her in check."

"I do what I can, but she doesn't make it easy," Chloe snickered, earning a jilted look from Max.

"You're talking about me like I'm some kind of troublemaker," she said with a pout. "I'm a good...well, moderately okay student!"

_You ARE also a troublemaker. Don't kid yourself, darlin'._

"We're just giving you a hard time, honey," Vanessa said, reaching across the table to put a hand on top of Max's to show her sincerity. "We're happy you're doing well." She looked at Chloe. "And how's the Two Whales treating you?"

"It's kind of...awesome, actually," she said. "It came to me weirdly naturally. I'm still not sure if that's good or bad."

"It's good," Ryan responded, "it means you have people skills."

_Oh no, do I really? Where did I go wrong?_

"I guess so," she laughed, hiding her bashfulness, "I really do kind of enjoy it. Obviously, it's not my long term plan but for now I'm pretty content." She leaned forward and smiled slyly. "Plus, I can analyze other servers perfectly. Know what they're doing right, what they're doing wrong. I can see right through 'em."

"That sounds like a useful skill, actually," Vanessa mused. "How's our guy doing so far?"

"Meh," Chloe flitted her hand, "I've seen better. And I can tell from his behavior that he's probably been stiffed a few times tonight. He's got those...crazy eyes." She held her eyes wide open, then nodded with a sagely demeanor. "He's desperate."

_I get the struggle, though._

"Wow, you got all that from the minute and a half he's been at our table?" Max asked. "I never knew you were examining all of our waiters like that. You're such a creep."

_Yep. I'm a weirdo._

"You already knew that," Chloe said, nudging her, "but yeah, it's kind of automatic now. I can't really help it."

"And I'm sure Joyce is thrilled that you're working there," Vanessa said after taking a sip of her drink.

"I think she's thrilled that I'm working at all," Chloe admitted. "But yeah, I think she likes having another Price to keep everyone in check." Chloe's head jerked as she remembered something. "By the way, Mom told me to tell you hi and that she misses you both."

"Aw, I miss her too." Vanessa frowned. "I'm pretty excited for Max's graduation. Not just because of the obvious, but because we'll finally get a chance to catch up."

"Oh, I didn't even think of that," Max said. "That'll be really cool. Like old times, right?"

"Old times," Ryan said, thinking it over with a warm smile. The waiter returned with their food and he raised his hands, allowing the man to set the plate in front of him.

"If you need anything, just give me a wave," the waiter said, adding a bow that Chloe thought was far too over the top.

_Reel it in, dude._

"We'll be sure too, thanks," Vanessa responded, shooting Chloe a quick, knowing look as she tried not to laugh.

* * *

"Well, that was lovely," Vanessa said, flicking on the light to illuminate the hallway. "I probably shouldn't have forced dessert but..." She shrugged, not finding a suitable excuse. "Welp, I need to put on PJ's stat." She bounded up the stairs with much more energy than Chloe thought parents were allowed to have.

_Woah, look at her go._

"Thank you guys so much," Chloe said, for what may have been the tenth time. "It was delicious."

"You're welcome," Ryan chuckled, giving her a pat on the shoulder as if saying 'you can stop now.' "We'll have to go out some more before you leave." He ran a hand through his beard and made a pondering noise. "I think I'm going to break in my new mug. Did anyone else want some coffee?"

"No, thank you," Max said, busy poking Chloe as if she had buttons on her back.

"I'll have some, if that's okay," Chloe answered, swinging her hand behind her to swat Max's away. She followed him into the kitchen and looked around. "Your home is really beautiful." She turned to Max and smirked. "You never told me you were a little rich girl."

"We're not rich," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know..." Chloe shrugged, continuing on with her mocking, "I bet you guys have a bunch of those, uh, eggy...fancy things somewhere on display."

_60% sure that's not what they're called._

"Faberge," Ryan corrected with a quiet laugh, "and I'll never let you see my collection. They're almost about to hatch."

"Aw, baby rich birds," Chloe cooed. Max elbowed her softly. "No, I know, it's just a really nice place. It's cool you're doing well."

"Thanks," Ryan said, "it certainly beats the apartment floors I slept on when I was your age."

"Started from the bottom," Chloe chuckled, taking a place beside him in front of the coffee maker. "I'm glad you like the mug. I wanted to impress you guys."

"Loser," Max laughed, forming an 'L' with her hand over her forehead.

"Leave that one in the nineties, Maxy," Chloe replied. She clapped a hand to her hip when both her and Max's phones beeped at the same time. She smiled as she read the text. "Cool, Victoria says she'll be here tomorrow. We'll have to hook up sometime."

_There's something kind of funny about being hours away from home and still chilling with the normal people._

"Who's this?" Ryan asked, handing a mug to Chloe. She closed her eyes as she inhaled the rich scent.

"Our friend from Blackwell," Max said. "She's from here too. Actually, her parents own the Chase Space."

"Haven't we taken you there before?" He sipped his coffee, watching her intently.

"Yeah, a few times, actually," she said. "It's...kind of crazy, actually. We actually didn't start off as very...friendly. But now we're very close."

_I sometimes wonder how we all look standing together in a group. What a...weird sight that must be._

"She's done a lot of maturing," Chloe explained. "I guess we all have?"

"Definitely," Max agreed, then was sure to add, "sometimes, anyway."

"Never grow up all the way," Ryan said, smiling as if he'd just provided something wise. Just as he finished, there was another rhythmic thumping on the steps and Vanessa appeared in the kitchen, donning new, very comfortable looking attire. Her shirt was long, hanging just above her knees with the words 'IM SO SLEEPY' on it. Ryan just moved his mug in her direction, as if proving his point.

_Ha, that's awesome._

"What?" she asked, planting both hands on her hips.

"Nothing, dear," he replied, turning away as he drink from the mug again.

"Right," Vanessa said, clearly not believing him. She leaned against the counter. "So, are you guys going to do the whole sightseeing thing?"

_Where...is all the grunge at? Let's go there._

"Yeah, maybe," Max said, turning to Chloe, "if she wants to."

"Sure, I'm down. I've always wanted to see a Starbucks," she laughed.

"Yeah, you'll get sick of that  _real_ quick," Ryan said. He pointed to the mug in her hands. "Doesn't compare to that."

"You can totally compare it," Max shot back, grinning at her father's reaction.

"You're  _very_  grounded," he replied, "go to your room."

"Oh! She hasn't even seen my room yet!" Max took Chloe by the hand. "Come on!" She stopped before they had left the kitchen and turned around. "Hey, so...it's like, fine for us to sleep together, right?" Her parents shot each other an amused look.

_Maybe we're too comfortable with our parents..._

"Yes, it's fine," he said, not bothering to come up with a snarky response.

"Kay, juuuust checkin'." Max threw up a peace sign as she continued toward the stairs.

* * *

"So," Max said, sweeping her arm over the room with enthusiasm, "here's where I cried about you a lot."

_Fuck, Max._

"Jesus," Chloe chuckled, "that sounded so fucking sad."

"Nah, it was great," Max giggled, escorting her further into the room, "it was a very fun time."

"Right." Chloe slung her arm over Max's shoulders. "Well, depressing shit aside, it's hella cool."

And she really did think so. Just like her room at Blackwell, there were lanterns strung up along the ceiling, making the use of the lamp in the room unnecessary. She liked that aesthetic particularly – it made everything seem quieter and closer, even if what was actually happening was a chaotic party. There were other signs of Max's personality around the room, as well. A bookcase containing what seemed like every book Max had ever read, ranging from the picture books of her childhood to thick biographies on artists she looked up to. There were also several posters on the walls depicting various bands or movies Max was a fan of. It felt familiar, a perfect compliment to Max's dorm.

"Thanks!" Max waddled to the bed with Chloe attached to her and brought them both down onto it. "Obviously a lot of stuff is at Blackwell, but you can still see the 'me' in it."

"I can," she said. "How come you didn't bring the lava lamp? Those things are cool." Before giving an answer, Max hopped up and turned it on.

"Didn't really think to," she laughed, returning next to Chloe, "plus it takes like an hour to lava."

"Oh, lame." Chloe pressed her hands into the mattress under her, then bounced up and down a few times. "Comfy. And it doesn't squeak!"

_Mine's starting to sound like a symphony of mice._

"Yeah, that's a quality I never really appreciated before," Max snickered.

"Right? Who would've thunk," Chloe said, then drew one of her eyes halfway closed, "is that a word? I've never been sure."

"I thunk so," Max replied, pulling Chloe's hand into her lap. "I'm...really excited to be here with you. It feels like, kind of a 'step,' if that makes sense?"

"More of a step than flying through time together?" Chloe asked with a chuckle.

"Our relationship progress is very...Escher," Max remarked with a grin, "but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," Chloe said, then she leaned in close to Max. "So, how do you think I'm doing?"

"With what?" Max asked flatly, one hundred percent sure of what the answer would be.

"Your parents!" Chloe laughed. Max looked away, touching her index finger to her chin as she thought.

"Maybe like a five out of ten," she said.

_Fuck, that is NOT a good grade._

"Really?" Chloe asked with sincerity, her face contorting into something like fear. Max cackled and threw her weight into the girl, flattening her onto the bed.

"No, not really!" Max went for Chloe's neck, lightly digging her teeth into it. "You're so ridiculous," she mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah," Chloe snickered, looping her arms around Max's waist.

"Girls!" Ryan's voice called, booming like thunder from downstairs. "We're thinking about renting a movie! Did you want to join us?" Max looked to Chloe for her answer, which was a nod.

_I want movie._

"Yeah! We'll be right down!" she shouted back.

As they settled in to watch the movie, the lights off and bowl of popcorn in her lap, Chloe couldn't help but feel that the entire situation was surreal. In a good way, absolutely, but sitting in the Caulfields home with Max snuggled into her side while her parents did the same was just something she never, ever expected to happen. She'd sooner have predicted Max's power and the storm before even considering her current position a possibility. It was nice.

_Okay Max, I definitely see what you mean about it being a step. One small step for Chloe, one giant leap for happily ever after. This is...great._

* * *

"Don't EVER tell me what to do!" Nathan snarled, pinning Chloe against the wall. She could feel the barrel of the gun pressing into her ribs. "I'm so SICK of people trying to control me!"

"You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs," Chloe said, the fear stretching her eyes wide.

"Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass would they?" he asked, leaning closer to her. His eyes were crazed, the madness in them reaching out and holding her frozen in place. Then, she acted out of desperation.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Chloe shouted, pushing Nathan backwards. As he stumbled, the gun snapped in his hand, sending a bang through Chloe's stomach. As she fell, Max jumped from behind the stall, screaming as she held her hand out.

The orange filter swirled to the center of the memory, condensing before expanding back out and revealing Chloe back against the wall.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" she screamed again. She pushed him again. She was shot again. This time, Max didn't appear. Instead, from behind the stall, gripping a hammer that trembled in her hand, she rewound.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Again. Again. Again.

She was reversed to the wall once more, Nathan's teeth creaking as he tightened his jaw. This time, before she could push him, the fire alarm rang out.

"No way..." he said, turning around in surprise. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chloe kneed him in the groin, sending him to the floor. Panicked, she spun around and dashed out of the bathroom.

The orange barrier, morphing and changing as always, once again pulled the details of the room from reality, reassembling them so Chloe was trapped against the wall yet again. This time, her face fell blank for just a moment, followed by the briefest bit of confusion. Her eyes strayed over Nathan's shoulder, focusing on Max peeking from behind the stall. With a smirk, she turned her attention back to Nathan.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" she cried as she pushed him, and her hips tugged to the side just a fraction. The gun went off, lancing through her side. She fell differently this time, crashing onto both knees rather than just one and then dropping face first onto the tiles. Nathan began screaming, wailing apologies as he paced back and forth. Her blood seeped out, spreading into puddle.

The filter swayed inward, wrapping itself around Chloe and Nathan and Max, repositioning them again.

The scene played out as it just had, only this time there were no longer just the three of them in the bathroom. Next to Max was the ghostly doe, staring intently at Nathan and Chloe. Around it, several squirrels also stood tall, unflinching as they watched. The butterfly on the sink flapped its wings once as it turned in their direction. On top of the stall Max was hiding behind, a raven was perched, and on one of the sink faucets there was a blue jay. In the window, an owl poked its head through. Each and every one of them staring at her and Nathan. They all had the same appearance as the doe, built of transparent static.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Chloe screamed, her voice shattering and splintering like the wail of a banshee as the orange filter flooded the room.

* * *

Chloe sucked a sharp breath in as she lurched upright, pushing a palm to her temple as the trembling reverberated through her skull, followed by a chill that stampeded across her entire body. As her thoughts came together, she choked on the blood collecting in the back of her throat and hurried out of bed. Not bothering to wake Max – she knew she'd tell her later – she staggered to the door and jerked it open.

For a moment, she forgot she wasn't in her house and the bit of concentration required to remember where Max's bathroom was floundered in her head. Holding both hands to her face, she made her way down the hall and ducked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She choked again, scrambling to the sink and spitting out a mouthful of blood. She couldn't help but start crying.

_Fuck this. FUCK THIS._

She flipped the hot water handle toward her with the back of her hand and shoved her hands under the stream, feeling a morbid sense of comfort as it grew hot enough to burn. After a moment of washing them, she turned the cold handle to balance the temperature and tugged the hand towel off of its holder. She soaked it in the water, then brought it to her face, scrubbing furiously at the blood.

_Fuck this. Fuuuuuck this. God, how much more?!_

"She never told me it took that many times to save me," she muttered to herself angrily, though not aimed in Max's direction. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she stood up straight and looked into the mirror. It was still horrible beyond all measure, but this  _was_ the third time it had happened. As awful as it made her feel, she realized she was figuring out how to deal with it. As much as she could, anyway. But it wasn't the nosebleed that bothered her most this time.

_What the fuck were those animals doing there? Just...staring. Watching me. Max didn't even seem like she noticed them._

The process of watching herself die was still something that flooded her veins with a sickening feeling, which she didn't think she'd ever  _truly_ get used to. Again and again and again. She leaned toward the mirror and heaved her breath at it, painting it with a splotch of fog. There it was. She was still breathing. Still alive, despite receiving what might have been a full clip of bullets into her body when all was said and done.

_Still here, thanks to Max's interference with the fire alarm. Still here because I came back with her and managed to move in just the right way. Still...wait. Wait..._

She furrowed her brow, her eyes latched onto themselves in the mirror. A strange thought made itself known in her mind.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho..." she whispered to herself.

_Why...did I still say that? It was completely different. Why did I still say the exact same thing?_

"Ah, fuck," she spat, pressing the towel under her nose again as a new stream of blood crawled down her lip. She closed her eyes, pushing everything down with all of her might. Despite everything, she found it vitally important to not cause a scene in front of Max's parents. She wiped her eyes, then took another long breath until everything was successfully suppressed. She'd let it out later in front of Max if she needed to.

_Need a drink to get this taste out of my mouth._

She crept downstairs, turning several times toward the Caulfields door just to make sure she wasn't disturbing them. Once at the bottom, she made her way into the kitchen and was surprised to find Ryan hidden behind the open refrigerator door as he perused its contents. The sound of her footsteps on the floor drew his attention, causing him to leap backward and clutch his chest.

"Oh god," he said, glancing up at the ceiling, "you scared the shit out of me, Chloe."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, cringing, "I didn't mean to!"

_Please do not have a heart attack!_

"It's okay." He turned to her and just as quickly turned away, bringing a hand in front of his face. "Uh, Chloe, can you please...cover up?" She looked down at herself and inwardly screamed in horror. In her dizzied state, she'd forgotten that she was only wearing a tank top and her underwear.

_Oh my god, fucking kill me. Could this night get any worse!?_

"I'm so, so sorry!" she said in a loud hush, scurrying behind the island to block the lower half of her body. "I'm half-asleep. I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, it's fine!" he responded, reflecting the panicked hush and waving the hand that wasn't shielding his eyes. "There's a blanket on the couch in the other room, go grab it!"

"Yeah, okay," she said, scampering away. Wild-eyed and mouthing ever curse she'd ever heard, she grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her waist, tying it in a knot so that it wouldn't fall. She returned to the kitchen and held her arms out. "Mr. Caulfield, I want to die."

_Ugh, such shitty choice of words._

"Ryan," he chuckled, lowering his hand, "just call me Ryan, Chloe."

"Right, sorry," she said, wincing with every apology, "I just wanted something to drink."

"I sort of figured..." he turned back to the fridge and pulled out a gallon of milk, then picked up the pack of cookies that had been setting on the counter. "Do you want some cookies and milk? I was having a midnight snack."

"Uh, yeah, sure," she said, taking a seat on one of the stools at the island. He opened the cabinet and took out two glasses, then came to sit on the opposite side.

"They're extra chocolate chip," he said with a pleased smile, tearing open a strip on top of the packaging. He popped one whole into his mouth and poured Chloe a glass of milk as he chewed. "We had peanut butter chocolate chip ones but I finished those off yesterday."

"That's okay," Chloe chuckled, reaching for one of the cookies. She dunked it several times into the milk, then took a bite, looking at Ryan as she did so.

_I'm actually pretty happy you were awake. I think I needed a...casual conversation._

"So," he said, dipping a cookie of his own, "how are you doing?"

"I'm alright," Chloe replied, not exactly happy with her need to lie, "I just have cotton mouth from dinner, I think."

"I sort of mean in general," he laughed, "how have things been?"

_Oh, right. 'Casual conversation.'_

"Uhh, I don't know," she said, "a lot better lately. Ever since Max came back. They were kind of rough before that."

"I can imagine," he said, frowning, "I think you understand the bigger picture of it, but I am sorry we had to move away."

"I do," she responded, "I was bitter for a long time, but I always  _knew_ that it was just...a thing, you know?" She scrunched her nose. "Life."

_Life is shitty._

"Life," he agreed sadly, "but I really am so happy to have you back in ours. That you and Max have reunited."

"Very mutual," she giggled, procuring another cookie. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I got shot. Crazy, right?"

_Over and over and over. But there's just the one that matters. Remember that. Things are better._

"Crazy is not even the word." He sighed and shook his head. "We were crushed when we found out. Everything that happened at Blackwell is just so terrible. Those poor girls." He took a quick swig of the milk, then looked at her. "Do you know them? Or, did...you?"

_Yeah..._

"Yes," she said quietly, "Rachel Amber was my best friend while Max was gone. We were very close." Ryan let out a sad, quiet sound.

"Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry," he said.

"Yeah, it...it sucks." She broke a cookie in half, putting one down while she dipped the other. "She really didn't deserve that. I guess no one really does." She nibbled on the cookie. "But the other girl, Kate Marsh, is a really close friend of ours. She's so precious. I don't know how she's still so...vibrant after everything that happened."

_She reacts to things the complete opposite of how I do. It's amazing._

"I think Max has mentioned her," he said, "she sounds like a very strong person."

"You have no idea," Chloe snickered, "she is incredible. I'm so proud of her. After Rachel, it feels like there's some kind of...I don't know, justice in being able to support her." She shrugged. "A happy revenge."

"I'm sure," he nodded. "Even though Rachel's no longer with us, I think the three of you share a bond. Something deep and painful. There's something...comforting in that, as far down as it may be buried, if it means you and Kate can help each other." He shook his head again. "I'm just trying to find the positives."

"Yeah," Chloe agreed. It sounded horrible to her ears, but fit just right in her heart. "I guess we're sort of the three musketeers of tragedy, huh?"

"I guess that makes Max d'Artagnan," he said, smiling.

"I guess it does," Chloe laughed. She rubbed her hands on her forearms. "Your daughter really is just amazing. You should be so proud of her."

_I am. I'm so, so proud of her._

"We are," he said, nodding again, "we really are. She's the best of our genes. We're so lucky to have her."

"Same," Chloe said, hoping but ultimately knowing he could never understand how much she meant it.

"It's almost unbelievable that she was there when it happened," he said, reaching for another cookie. "I still can't believe that. That might just be the most incredible coincidence in all of history."

_Yes, that's what we're told._

"I know." Chloe placed an elbow on the surface and propped her head up. "I think maybe all of my bad luck got charged up to flip itself over at just the right time. Sympathy from the universe?"

"I might just buy that," he said. A flash of irritation overtook his face before dissipating. "It had to be a Prescott. It always is."

_Oh?_

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"That family is just..." he clenched his fist, "they're the gold standard of awful." He held a hand out to her as he spoke. "When I was a kid, there was this ice cream shop run by an elderly couple. As nice as could be. Made it all from scratch. I loved it there. They even had a Pac-Man machine I played all the time." He scowled. "One day, Sean's father, Harry, just snapped his fingers and...that was it. The shop was closed." He shook his head with mixture of disdain and disbelief. "It was bulldozed within the week to make room for some project that ended up getting abandoned. The elderly couple were heartbroken. Not even a year passed before the husband died, followed shortly by his wife. I think that shop was what kept them hanging on." Ryan stared at her, his eyes harsh. "He may not have killed them, but as far as I'm concerned it was still murder."

_Damn._

"Woah," Chloe said, "that fucking sucks..." she shook her head, "sorry, sailor mouth."

"It's appropriate, at least," Ryan replied. "There's stories like that all throughout the history of Arcadia Bay. The Prescotts...they're a disease. Sean was the worst yet."

_Hmm, intel._

"What do you know about him?" she asked.

"He's a greedy pig," he said, as though it were obvious. "I'm not sure that man has ever felt a genuine positive emotion. He's a sociopath. And I don't use that term lightly."

"You know, I've actually had a few run-ins with him," she said. He looked at her, showing concern. "Just the other night, too. He...really hates me. Blames me fore everything." Chloe looked down, feeling pinpricks of discomfort. "It freaks me out."

"Stay away from him if you can help it," Ryan said. "I've heard he's been under investigation since the incident. They'll find something, and when they do, he'll be locked up for good." He regarded her with pity. "You know he was the reason we had to move away?"

_What?_

"He was?" she asked, clamping onto the edge of the island's surface with a sudden, rising rage.

"Yes" he responded, "there were talks of him laying off everyone where Vanessa worked. And those kind of 'talks' always come true with him." He swiped his hands out in exasperation. "Then when I tried to get a raise to prepare for it, he had his slimy fingers in that too. They wouldn't budge. They...couldn't, because of him. Then we got lucky and I got an offer here. I had to take it."

_How the fuck does that work? It's like he owns the things he doesn't even own._

"I hate him even more now," Chloe said with bite. "How can one man ruin so many lives?"

"Money. Lots and lots of money," he replied. "Money is power and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"How did they  _get_ so much money, though?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he said, shaking his head, "you can trace that bloodline back to the beginning of Arcadia Bay. I don't think any explanation would surprise me."

"Fuck, man," she said, then laughed when Ryan preemptively waved his hand to show she needn't apologize.

"I look forward to the day when I read about his downfall in the paper," he said bitterly.

"Hopefully soon," Chloe agreed. She smiled and pointed at the package of cookies. "There's only one left. We ate all of them."

"Split it with you," he chuckled, taking it out and breaking it in two. He grew contemplative, then gave himself a reassuring nod to follow through with his thought. "Not to switch gears too hard but, uh, I wanted to offer my condolences again about your father. William and I were good friends."

_Should have seen that coming._

"Thanks," she said, looking down at the cookie in her hands, "I know you guys were buds."

"Life isn't..." he sighed, "life isn't fair. I wish I could say it was."

_It's brutal._

"I've learned that, yeah," Chloe responded quietly.

"How is the new guy?" he asked, pushing some levity into his tone. Chloe blew out a huge gust of breath, as if saying 'strap in.'

"We had a...rough beginning," she said. "I hated him. Hated him with everything I had in me. He didn't like me either. He's a vet, so he has that...mindset, right?" She gave a quick salute in demonstration. "And I just couldn't stand the thought of someone replacing my dad." She grew a tiny smile and shrugged. "It's gotten a lot better, though. He's become a lot more understanding and I do kind of realize that I was taking a lot out on him in ways that maybe weren't fair. Like if either of us just tried to start off on the right foot, things would have been different."

"I'm glad to hear it's gotten better," he said. "No one can replace William, but it's good he's found his own spot in you and your mother's lives."

"Mhm," she said, then snickered, "you know, I keep thinking how the best thing I've ever done is get shot in that bathroom. Isn't that kind of sad? I've even..." she looked away and squinted, "I've even dreamt about it."

_Recently, in fact._

"People dream about traumatic experiences," he assured, "but you need to give yourself some more credit. It  _has_  been six months. Whatever progress you've made, that's because you've put in the work and the heart necessary."

"Damn, that's... Thanks," she said, smiling, "I guess it's good to have a reminder every so often."

"We could all use a reminder sometime." He polished off his glass of milk and let out an exaggerated 'ahhh' sound. "This was really nice, you know?"

"Yeah, it was. We should do it again," she said, then cleared her throat in embarrassment, "with proper, uh, attire."

_You are a wise man, Ryan C-Field._

"Agreed on both accounts," he said, flashing teeth in an awkward smile.

"Oh, hey," Chloe laughed, leaning forward, "did Max tell you we watched Lake Placid?"

"No!" he grinned and smacked his hands on the table, "how'd it go!?"

_It was JUST a crocodile!_

"That movie is  _really_ awful," she shook her head with wide eyes, "it's so bad."

"Told you," he snirked, standing up from the stool and taking the glasses to the sink.

* * *

Chloe crept to the side of the bed, peeling the blankets up and slipping in as slowly as possible. With a tiny mumble, Max opened her eyes halfway and raised her head.

"Babe? You okay?" she asked in a barely there voice.

_Honesty, yay._

"Half and half," Chloe replied. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay." Max blinked her eyes open all the way, then scooted closer to Chloe. "Why half and half?"

"We can talk about it in the morning," she said, pulling the girl into her arms, "you should get back to sleep." Max titled her head back to see her.

"Did you have a dream?" she asked with a look of worry.

"Yeah," Chloe said. "A bad one. Like nosebleed bad."

"Oh no," Max frowned, bringing a hand to Chloe's cheek. She pulled herself higher so she was eye level with Chloe. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright? What was it?"

"The bathroom," she said, "all of the times I didn't make it plus the two that I did." Max let out a pained sigh and dropped her head into the pillow.

"If I was just faster..." she began.

"It's not your fault," Chloe said, "you did really great." She clicked her tongue against her teeth in thought. "There were some...weird things about it, though."

"What?" Max asked.

_Alright, which one is less shitty to start with?_

"The first thing was...on the time that I moved, like,  _this_ time, I said the same thing I said all of the other times," she explained. Max only looked back confused. "I mean, every time I was shot, I said 'get that gun away from me, psycho.' Even this time when I was actually 'aware' of everything. Why would I still say that? Why wouldn't it be different?"

"Uhh," Max's eyes searched the room around her for an answer, "I don't know. Do you think it  _should_ have been different?"

"Maybe? I guess I don't really know how it works. It just struck me as odd," she said.

"I guess it kind of is," Max admitted, "maybe it's one of those things that's like, a constant?" She shrugged her shoulders. "What was the other thing?"

_Army of ghost animals._

"Okay, so, this freaks me out..." Chloe sat up and turned to Max, "the last part got played again, when I was able to avoid it being fatal. And that...that  _fucking_ doe was there. Standing right next to you."

"Wait, what?" Max jolted up as well with a look of disbelief.

"But, it wasn't even just the doe. There were squirrels and birds. And the butterfly, of course..." Chloe raised an eyebrow curiously. "These dreams are  _your_ memories. Did that...happen?"

"No," Max said, shaking her head, "that never happened. It was just the three of us in there. And...the butterfly, I guess."

_The butterfly. That stupid, fucking thing._

"I can't tell if my brain was trying to like, dream like a normal person would and projected my subconscious into it or..." she waved her hands, "or if these fucking animals are really,  _really_ not right."

"What the fuck is going on?" Max asked, just to stave off the silence.

"I don't know," Chloe responded. "They were just staring..."

"Can I tell you something?" Max asked, though she seemed nervous.

"Of course," Chloe answered.

"For the longest time, I thought that doe was...was Rachel," she said. "I was so, so sure of it. But now...I really don't know."

_Yeah. I get that._

"I actually considered that too," Chloe replied. "It was at her grave. I mean, I saw it at the cemetery twice. I just...like, I don't  _believe_ in ghosts or spirits, but I guess that just seemed obvious to me." She huffed. "Didn't believe ghosts or spirits. I don't know what I believe anymore."

"I wish I knew where to even start to get answers about this," Max said. "I'm so clueless. The Ghostbusters?"

"That's literally as good as any answer I can think of right now," she said. "I just can't wait to be done with these dreams so that it hopefully all goes away." She thought it over. "Since they can be all weird and replay stuff over and over, I wish they'd just show me all of it in one pop and we could be done."

_Like a dream band-aid. Rip it off all nice and fast._

"I'm not sure that'd be a good idea, but I agree that I can't wait for them to be over," she said, kissing Chloe on the nose. "Are you alright?"

_Well, you're here. I can manage._

"As alright as I can be," Chloe said with a shrug. "I bonded with your dad over an entire pack of chocolate chip cookies. That was surprisingly cathartic."

"Really?" Max asked, perking an eyebrow.

"Uh huh," she said, "they were tasty."

_They actually were though? I need to get some of them._

"You're having a pretty wild first night in Seattle," Max said, trying to inject some humor into it and managing to be halfway successful.

"No joke," Chloe snickered, thankfully accepting the tone, "we'll be pole vaulting over the Godzilla threshold by day three."

"This is a two week excursion, too," Max replied. "A lot of time for city leveling."

"I hope day six has dragons," she said, "like cool kinds you can ride."

_There has to be SOME perks, right?_

"That sounds more like a day ten activity," Max said. She frowned and left a flurry of kisses on Chloe's forehead. "I'm here, okay?"

"I know," Chloe responded, wrapping her arms around her, "my little knight."

"Appropriate considering the dragon scenario," Max said. She reached hand below her and brushed Chloe's thigh, then looked back at Chloe with narrowed eyes. "Did you have pants on when you were snackin' with my dad?"

"I did not," Chloe said casually.

"Yeah, that's normal," Max sighed, cuddling into Chloe, "we're so fucking weird."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The Caulfields make their (physical) debut! Pretty fun to mess around with.
> 
> Also! I've received a few pretty sweet messages telling me to take it easy on uploading so quickly so that I don't get burnt out. While I do appreciate it, this is just how it works for me. Sometimes I'm "on" and I need to take advantage of it. Truth be told, 90% of the time between chapter updates is me simply not feeling like writing. If I don't feel it, I can't get myself to even try. So...we're on a roll! And don't be worried about me getting burnt out on the story, either. I've never been more excited to write it than I am right now.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter! Love you all and I'll see you for the next update!


	60. Ice Cream With A Side Of The Occult

In the days since they had arrived in Seattle, Chloe had grown much more comfortable in front of the Caulfields. Max knew this would be the case, of course, but it still registered as a bit of relief that it happened sooner rather than later. She liked to tease Chloe about her nervousness, but truthfully, she knew she'd be acting the same way if the roles were reversed. In the end, she just figured that meant they both _really_  cared about things being okay, which was certainly not a bad thing.

Luckily, Chloe also hadn't had another dream since their first night there. They avoided the subject as much as possible, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult to do so. Deflecting with humor or covering up with kisses only went so far when it came to nosebleed inducing dreams and ghostly animals popping up everywhere. Max had to wonder if it would just be something they had to deal with from now on. Which...wasn't impossible – they were strong, but it was obviously less than ideal. More than anything, it just hurt to know Chloe was struggling.

They spent the early part of the day wandering around a portion of Seattle. They had decided to tackle Chloe's tourism needs in sections, so they'd spend each day exploring a certain area, then be back home before it was too late so they could just relax. Truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot to look at on this particular day, but they did take a trip to the Chase Space and Max enjoyed getting into technical art talk with Chloe. Or maybe at her. She wasn't sure which.

"The Chase Space," Chloe mused as they pulled into Max's driveway, "kind of awesome, right? Though I do wonder why they don't just plaster Victoria's pictures everywhere."

"To hear her tell it, they're more concerned with quality of art rather than...I don't know. Her," Max said, following Chloe to the front door. "She has to earn her spot there."

"That's kind of harsh," Chloe responded. "I guess I get it, but it still feels like one of those...things, you know?"

_Her parents sound very...detached. I guess I really am lucky._

"Yeah, I know," Max said. She opened the door and stepped inside, tugging off the damp hoodie and hanging it on the coat rack. "I'm kind of excited to see her later, though."

"So am I!" Chloe pinched the bottom corners of her open flannel and held it open. "Hey, do you think people roll their eyes at me for dressing like this here?"

"I doubt anyone cares," Max laughed, "the whole grunge thing is kind of a pride of the city. Plus, it's been like...how many years? Flannel is just hipster style now."

"Cool," Chloe said, tugging her hair tie out and shaking her head, sending her hair in a flurry. "When do your parents get home?"

"Mom should be in the next half hour or so?" Max clicked power button on her phone to double check the clock. "Yeah, around there."

"Hmm..." Chloe smiled as her eyes drifted toward the steps, "a half hour can be a long time if you're strategic."

_Yeah, you're a regular grandmaster at chess._

"Oh can it?" Max asked, crossing her arms with a smirk. "And whatever do you plan on doing in that half hour?"

"I mean, I dunno," Chloe said, her voice slow and prowling as she placed her hands on Max's waist, "there are...options." The door suddenly swung open, and Chloe let go, stumbling backwards.

_Her reaction time is really impressive._

"Oh, hey girls," Vanessa said, smiling brightly at them, "how was the sightseeing?"

"I think it was okay," Max chuckled, stealing a glance at Chloe, "we just kind of wandered around. You're home early."

"Yep, they let everyone go and I sped out of there like," she clapped her hands, then shot one forward, "the Flash." She quirked an eyebrow. "That Flash? That's right, right?"

"Yeah, he's quick," Chloe laughed.

"Okay, cool," Vanessa responded with a small look of relief, "your father would have my head." She removed her jacket and hung it up next to Max's hoodie.

"Seriously, he and my friend Warren would get along so well," Max snickered, following her mother into the kitchen. "They could battle for biggest nerd on Earth."

"Warren might win that, actually," Chloe said, "he's got like...an eidetic memory for that shit." She hung her head. " _Stuff._  For that stuff."

_So smooth._

"You can see why she gets into so much trouble." Max gestured to her.

"Vaguely," Vanessa said, happily fixing herself a cup of tea. She turned back to them as she waited for it to brew. "What time is your friend getting here? Will it be in time for dinner?"

"Oh! I think so," Max said, "I'll have to call her. And send her directions..."

"You should give her the wrong address," Chloe suggested, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously.

"That's just mean." Max shook her head, smiling as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey," Victoria answered.

"Hi Vic, my mom was wondering if you'd be here for dinner?" Max waved a hand at Chloe, who was making faces, and turned away from her.

"Uhh, sure," Victoria mumbled something under her breath, "is that okay?"

"Yeah, of course," Max replied. "You can come whenever."

"Alright, that's good," Victoria said, "I'm already kind of over it here."

_Damn, she really doesn't like her house much._

"Aw," Max laughed quietly in a pitying way, "well, I'll send you the directions to my place. Or did you need us to pick you up?"

"Nope, I'm good! I can use one of my parents' cars," she said.

"One of," Max chuckled with a roll of her eyes, "alright, I'll text you. See you soon."

"Later hater," Victoria responded, then ended the call.

"Dinner?" Vanessa asked, turning her thumbs up and down, "yay, nay?"

"Yay," Max confirmed, tapping on her phone, then stopped and looked at Chloe. "Dinner at my parents house with Victoria freaking Chase?"

"I don't even know what's going on anymore," Chloe laughed, lackadaisically flitting her arms out.

* * *

"Ooooh," Max said, her voice taking on the lilt of seeing someone get into trouble, "I see a Victoria pulling in."

"Damn, already?" Chloe asked, joining Max by the window.

"She said she was hungry," Max chuckled. She backed away from the window, leaving the smudge of her nose on the glass. "Come on, let's go harass her!"

"Oh my god, that's like my favorite thing to do!" Chloe cheered, clapping her hands together with a smile.

She followed Max outside and, when she noticed Victoria wasn't paying attention, crept up to her car. She hunched down so that she was below the window, and gestured to Max. When Victoria looked up, Max gave a friendly wave. Chloe jumped up, shouting and holding her hands above her head. Victoria jerked backward in her seat, a hand shooting to her chest to contain her heart as a muffled "fuck!" could be heard all the way at Max's doorstep.

_Wow, I think I saw her soul leave for a second._

"Jesus," she growled, swinging the door open so that it collided against Chloe's thigh. "Do you want to give me a heart attack!?"

"Of course not," Chloe said, resting her arms on the top of the door as she peered in smugly, "I'd never do such a thing."

"Hi, Vic!" Max called, waving again. The girl looked in her direction, narrowing her eyes at Chloe's accomplice.

"Hello," Victoria said dryly, stepping out of the car. She looked Chloe up and down and made a 'pfft' noise, then hugged her.

"How's it goin', Vaporub?" Chloe asked, squeezing her arms tight against Victoria's lower back.

"Can't wait for that one to run its course," she snirked. "I'm alright." She gestured to the car. "I stalled out like twice which kind of pissed me off." Chloe strained her neck as she looked over Victoria's shoulder.

"I didn't know you could drive stick," she said, sounding a bit impressed.

"I don't prefer it." Victoria bumped her hip into the door to close it then surveyed Max's house. "Damn, this place isn't half bad."

_Nice backhanded compliment._

"It's like you in house form," Max shot back, giving Victoria a hug of her own. "Come on, dinner's almost ready and we have to do the whole introduction thing." Chloe got behind Victoria and placed her hands on her shoulders, steering her as they walked back inside.

"Parents," Max called, "you have to meet my friend."

"I don't have to do anything, Maxine," Vanessa teased, coming out of the kitchen and wiping her hands on her apron. The fact that her parents wore matching aprons when they cooked together was one of those little things Max thought played a part in 'good marriage.' "Hi, honey, I'm Vanessa."

"Hello," Victoria held out her hand, "I'm Victoria Chase."

"Nice to meet you, Victoria Chase," Vanessa giggled, taking her hand. "Do you have a last name?"

_Oooh, mom burn! The most deadly of all._

"Uh..." Victoria's mouth drew into a straight line and she exhaled from her nose. "That was weird, wasn't it?"

"A little," Chloe said, flicking her finger through Victoria's hair.

"We're rubbing off on you," Max added, then followed Vanessa into the kitchen. "Dad, this is Victoria."

"Hey there," he said, not immediately looking up as he chopped vegetables. Once he had finished, he properly turned to greet her. "Ryan," he said, shaking her hand.

"I didn't get a handshake," Chloe said, feigning a pout to Vanessa.

"You would have been so worried if that's all we gave you," she responded.

"That's...well, you got me there," Chloe laughed. "I'd be like, 'oh my god, they don't want to hug me!' and probably cry in my truck for a half hour."

"Hmm," Max turned to her, "we've never shaken hands before. I want to see." She extended her hand.

"Ooh, okay," Chloe took it, then locked her knees and conjured a confused expression, "now what!? I don't understand!"

"I think we're supposed to...move?" Max wiggled her elbow, keeping her hand in place.

_Heheh, this isn't even how you do it._

"I  _really_ hope you're not rubbing off on me," Victoria said, watching with a sad look in her eyes. She turned to Vanessa. "Your home is lovely. Thank you so much for inviting me for dinner."

"Oh, of course!" Vanessa took a spot next to Ryan and started handling a knife. "Any friend of Max's is more than welcome. Did you bring a change of clothes?"

"Yeah, my bag's in the car," she said.

"Want me to grab it?" Chloe asked. Victoria looked her up and down.

_Aw, so helpful._

"Oh, that'd be nice, actually," she said. "Backseat. I'll unlock it."

"Cool, bee-arr-bee," Chloe said, prancing off.

Once she heard the door close, Victoria went to the window by the door and beckoned Max to join her. She waited until Chloe was leaning in the backseat, then pressed a button on her key fob, sparking the car alarm. Chloe jolted, smacking the back of her head on the top of the car.

"Don't fuck with me," Victoria said, grinning.

* * *

"She just keeps talking about how Easter is on the 20th this year," Vanessa said, plunging her fork into a piece of chicken. "She's so excited about it."

"Wow," Max said, crinkling her brow, "Grandma is...really full of surprises these days."

"She's been looking up all these baking recipes," Vanessa chuckled with a shake of her head.

"Heh, should get Max to send her the one she used," Victoria added, swaying back and forth happily as she ate.

_Oh, what? Victoria!_

" _Dude._ " Max hissed, whacking Victoria in the shoulder much harder than she intended. She looked her mother in the eyes and pursed her lips. Then to her father, who only looked back, subduing a smile.

"Sorry," Victoria muttered.

"Speaking of full of surprises," Vanessa said. "Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?"

"Still...still your little girl," Max answered, blushing as she looked down.

"I'd like to..." Chloe circled her hands around each other, "just cut this one off at the root and say please still let me sleep here."

"We have a tent you could pitch out back," Ryan snarked.

"That's fine," Chloe said, relaxing, "I know how to make fire."

_Metaphorically as well._

"Changing subjects," Max said quickly, "how about this food, right? It's very edible."

"It actually is delicious," Victoria said, "thank you again."

_Thank you for playing along._

"No problem," Vanessa said with a smile. "Max tells me you're a photographer as well? Your parents own the Chase Space?"

"Yes," Victoria nodded, "I'd like to become a professional. I've wanted to for as long as I can remember."

"She's really good," Max added, then smiled impishly, "she's my rival."

"Max is better," Chloe said, sticking her tongue through her teeth as she smiled at Victoria.

"You  _have_ to say that," Victoria pointed her fork at Chloe, "I bet you Kate would say mine are."

_Pfft, dream on!_

"I don't even know if that's true, honestly," Max snickered. "Not that she doesn't think it, but that she might be too much of a pacifist to actually say it. No matter how much you kiss up on her."

"Kate Marsh?" Ryan asked, letting out an 'ahh' as he set down his glass of wine.

"Yeah," Chloe responded, "she and Victoria are an item. Like...probably rare but not quite epic?" She looked to Max for her assessment.

_You're playing too much WoW._

"Oh, I didn't know that," he said, then smiled knowingly, "so, your best friends are also a girl-girl couple."

"It's kind of their fault?" Victoria laughed, "I've never been with a girl before and...and Kate  _definitely_ hasn't but these two managed to shake everything up enough that it just kind of happened." She looked back and forth, somewhat surprised. "I've never talked about this to adults before."

"We're adults!" Chloe argued.

"Ehh..." Max flattened her hand and turned it left and right.

"Well, I'm glad you feel comfortable with us," Vanessa said. "It's nice to know everything's going well in the romance department!"

"Yeah..." Victoria frowned, then regarded Vanessa thoughtfully. "Did Max tell you guys about when she met Kate's parents?" Max sighed from beside her.

_You are hitting all the wrong notes here, Vic._

"I don't think so?" Vanessa said, turning to Max.

"It didn't...go well," she responded, "Kate's family is super religious. Her mom screamed at me and basically told us we were demons."

"What?" Ryan's face contorted angrily. "Are you serious?"

"It wasn't awesome," Chloe added with a sad nod. "They're real big on the whole...fuck rainbow flags thing." She sucked in a sharp breath and banged her hand on the table. "I am so bad at not cursing!"

"It's fine, Chloe," Vanessa chuckled. She looked back to Max with a serious expression. "Her mom really freaked on you guys?"

_Freaked out is putting it lightly._

"Yeah," Max said, "like, it was this huge thing. Kate didn't talk to her mom for almost a month."

"That's terrible!" Vanessa said. Then, with a spark of realization, she regarded Victoria with pity. "So her parents don't know."

"Nope," Victoria confirmed, slouching in her seat. "I understand, but I don't really know how long it's supposed to be a secret."

"Fuck. Them," Ryan said, his voice deep and pointed. Chloe smiled and pointed at him, as if to say 'aha!' He sighed and ran a hand through his beard. "I know it's not that simple, but...god is that infuriating."

"I'm sure when the time is right, it'll all work out," Vanessa said. "I know it all sounds like parent mumbo-jumbo, but love tends to find a way."

"Love..." Victoria mused, then looked back at Vanessa. "Thanks. I hope so."

* * *

"So like, what did you guys do here for fun?" Chloe asked, lying on the bed as she tossed a plush softball to herself. "There had to have been a...thing?"

"I don't know," Victoria replied, pulling on a loose fitting T-shirt to act as pajamas, "I mean, my friends and I would chill at the mall a lot."

_Ah, yes. The mall loiterers. An invasive species._

"I didn't do a ton," Max said, sitting on a little alcove by the window, "you know, mostly home stuff." She looked at Victoria. "Do you keep in touch with any of your friends from here?"

"Not really," Victoria admitted, "kind of just fell off from each other once I left. It can be hard to keep contact." Max scowled and glanced at Chloe, then guiltily looked down into her lap.

_Ouch._

"Well, I'm sure we're way cooler than your lame Seattle friends," Chloe said, kindly ignoring the awkwardness of Victoria's statement. She sat upright and tossed the ball at the girl's head. "Right?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Victoria chuckled, picking the ball up and throwing it back. She came and sat next to Chloe on the bed and leaned into her. "It's going to suck when we graduate. Have you guys thought about that at all?"

"No..." Max frowned, "I think I've been purposely ignoring it. It's going to be weird."

"Yeah," Victoria nodded, "it's cool that most of you guys will still be in Arcadia Bay for the summer but..." she crossed her arms and pouted with sincerity, "I guess I'd be coming back here?"

_That...really kind of blows._

"I mean, we can visit each other," Chloe offered, nudging Victoria, "we don't have to do the falling off thing. The distance isn't  _that_ far. I don't even know why you fly, honestly. It probably takes the same amount of time with all the airport shit."

"It really might," Victoria said, "I don't know, driving that far by myself seems kind of lonely. At least in a plane you're surrounded by other people." She looked between Max and Chloe. "Promise we won't drift apart?"

"Promise," Max said, finding a bit of comfort in being able to say and mean it.

_A small sliver of repentance._

"Okay..." Victoria smiled. All at once, their phones chirped with a text message, but Victoria was the only one who had hers on hand. "From Katie," she said, then quirked an eyebrow when she opened the message. "It says 'I love him so much!' and its a picture of Warren petting a dog?" She faced the phone toward Chloe and a strangled, surprised sound escaped from her throat.

"What the fuck?" she asked, tearing the phone out of Victoria's hands. "Max... You need to see this."

_Nice to hear Kate and Warren are keeping each other company._

"What is it?" Max came over to Chloe and peered down at the phone, instantly muttering 'oh my god.'

"What is with you two?" Victoria asked.

"This dog is..." Chloe shook her head and handed the phone back, then got up to get her own. "His name's Pompidou. He belongs to Frank Bowers."

"Are you serious?" Victoria glanced between them for confirmation.

_Kaaaate, what are you doing?_

"As a fucking heart attack," Chloe responded. She pressed on her phone a few times, then held it out in front of her as the dial tone rang on speaker.

"Chloe?" Kate's voice came through the receiver.

"Uh, hey Pumpkin," she said, her face tightened up in uncertainty, "we got your picture..."

"Yeah! Pompidou is so cute!" Kate said. There was the sound of a familiar, gruff voice in the background, followed by Kate answering "Chloe."

"Kate," Max said slowly, reflecting Chloe's expression perfectly, "I'm sure you can understand why this is a little...surprising to us."

"I guess so, yes," Kate replied, "I wanted to talk to him." Chloe flailed her hand as if to say 'no shit.'

"Hi, sweetie," Victoria said, her voice kind as she shook her head with exasperation.

_That's not a good look..._

"Oh! Hi, Vic! You at Max's?" she asked.

"Yep..." Victoria hesitated, "is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is okay," Kate said calmly. The sound of a button beep could be heard, and the background noise became a little clearer.

"Hey guys!" Warren's voice sprang through the phone.

_As cheery and oblivious as always._

"Hey Warren," Max snickered, clapping a hand to her face, "what's up, dude?"

"Nah, nothing. Kate wanted a lift to Frank's..." he laughed at something only he could see, "he's pretty cool."

"Yeah," Chloe said, still staring into the floor with shock. "Uh...well, I guess we just wanted to check up on you. Make sure everyone was okay."

"Thanks guys," Kate said, "we're all okay. Promise."

"Cool, cool," Chloe responded, "we'll let you go."

"Bye Katie," Victoria said, flopping back onto the bed with a sigh.

"Bye guys!" Kate replied, and the call was ended.

"Fucking plot twist," Chloe said, dragging a hand through her hair.

_Shyamalan strikes again._

"Seriously, what the hell is that?" Max asked, then turned to look at Victoria.

"I cannot  _believe_ she did that without telling me!" she growled, pounded a fist into the mattress. "What if it didn't go as well as it did?"

"I mean, I don't really think there was too much to worry about," Chloe said, trying on her soothing tone. "Frank like, loves Kate and from what Max said, she doesn't hold any ill will toward him."

"That is  _not_ the point!" Victoria hissed, sitting upright. "Why doesn't she tell me when she makes these big decisions?!"

"I'm not sure she knows she's supposed to," Max said, shaking her head. "You have to remember how inexperienced she is."

"It seems kind of fucking obvious," Victoria responded.

"So..." Chloe sighed, "I guess you didn't talk to her about this yet, then?" Victoria stared at her for a moment, then looked down. "Dude, you have to tell her that this is bothering you. Seriously."

_Funny the theme of trying to protect each other only causing more problems. Funny. Ha. Ha._

"I know..." her head drooped backwards, "I know. I know."

"You're sort of enabling it, at this point," Max added. "I know that sounds harsh."

"I have to do it when we get back," Victoria said, nodding to herself with reassurance, "I can't take this anymore."

"Uh..." Max joined them on the bed, cradling her elbow nervously, "how are you feeling about the whole 'just friends' thing?"

"Oh,  _that,_ " Victoria chuckled joylessly, "I don't even know what to do with that." Max and Chloe exchanged a sober look, then Chloe wrapped her arm around Victoria.

"It'll be okay," she said, "you guys are way too fucking cute together for it to not be." She narrowed her eyes for a moment, then began typing on her phone. "I'm texting Frank to call me when they leave. I want to hear what happened."

"Good idea," Max said. She leaned forward to look at Victoria. "You okay, Vic?"

"Is there some place I can smoke?" she asked. "I need a cig like a motherfucker."

"Yeah," Chloe said, standing up and patting Victoria on the knee, "I've been walking to the corner of the street. I could use one too." She smiled at Max. "See you in five? Or ten depending on how many she needs?"

"Sounds good," Max replied, smiling as Chloe bent down to meet her lips.

* * *

As Max walked into the living room where her parents were, she shot Warren a quick text to get his take on the encounter. With a sigh, she plopped down on the loveseat and leaned back.

_Well, this is an out of left field development._

"Where does Chloe keep sneaking off to?" Ryan asked, not taking his eyes off the television. He brought brought several chips to his mouth, crunching them loudly.

"Smoking," Max replied. "She doesn't want to do it near the house."

"That's thoughtful of her," Vanessa said with a smile. She held the bag of chips out. "Want any?"

"Yeah, sure," Max said, getting up and dipping her hand into the bag. "What are you guys watching?" she asked as she chewed.

"Orphan Black," she responded, "we're catching up on some episodes. Have you seen it?" Max shook her head. "You should check it out, it's really good."

"I'll look into it," Max said, sitting back down and eating another chip.

"What are you girls going to do tonight?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know, probably watch a movie or something." She smirked. "Gossip?" Vanessa turned back to her with big eyes.

_Knew that'd grab her attention._

"Really!?" she asked, "can I come!?"

"Prrrobably not," Max laughed. Vanessa snickered in response, not expecting any other answer.

"We have ice cream in the freezer if you guys want some," Ryan said, pointing over his shoulder to the kitchen. "Hot fudge to go with, too."

"That sounds kind of tasty," Max giggled. The sight of her parents snuggled closely together on the couch filled her chest with something warm, especially when comparing it to Victoria's situation. "You guys are really great, you know that?"

"Yes," Ryan responded.

_Thanks, Dad._

"It's nice to hear, though!" her mother added, winking in her direction.

"How long are you guys going to stay for graduation?" Max asked.

"Not sure, maybe a few days?" Vanessa said. "It'll be nice being back in Arcadia Bay. I miss it. Seattle lacks the..." she moved her hand in search of the right word, "magic?"

"Mmn," was as all Max could say in response. She heard the door open and craned her neck over the the back of the loveseat, watching as Chloe and Victoria came in. "Hey."

"Heeeey babygirl," Chloe said, bending down to give her a kiss on the forehead, "talked to Frank while we were out there."

"How was that?" she asked, sitting back upright and turning in her seat.

"It was fine," Chloe answered. She put a hand on Victoria's shoulder. "She's calmed down now too."

"Everything alright?" Max's mother asked.

"Yes, sorry, Mrs. Caulfield," Victoria responded. "Uh...marital problems." Vanessa snorted.

"I can relate," she said, speaking through the corner of her mouth in a comedic fashion, elbowing Ryan in the side.

"Love you too," Ryan replied dryly. "I was telling Max there's ice cream if you guys wanted."

"Oh god," Victoria said, placing her hands on her stomach, "I need ice cream more than anything else in the world right now."

"I can relate," Vanessa repeated in the same exact cadence as before.

* * *

"I'm a koala bear," Victoria chuckled, her arms and legs wrapped around a giant pillow she'd stolen from Max's bed.

"You have chlamydia?" Chloe asked, cackling as she ducked the pillow being thrown at her.

"What movie?" Max asked, dragging a CD booklet across the floor and unzipping it. "I'm no Warren but I have some good stuff." Victoria crawled over to get a look.

"You  _own_ Eraserhead?" she asked with laughter.

"Of course I do," Max responded, sticking her nose up snootily.

_What kind of pretentious person do you take me for?_

"I imagine this is just filled with artsy shit," Chloe snickered, scooting next to Max.

"Maybe a little," she admitted, turning the pages.

"Not Eraserhead," Victoria said adamantly, then planted her hands behind her, "other than that, I don't care."

"Lemme pick one at random." Chloe yanked the booklet to her. She covered her eyes and flipped through several pages, then jabbed her finger down. When she opened them, she snirked. "Beauty and the Beast it is."

_Artsy...right._

"Stockholm Syndrome: The Movie," Victoria snarked, "sure, let's do it."

"I'm going to sing all the songs, just to warn you," Max giggled, crawling to her television and slipping the disc into her DVD player.

Following through on her threat, Max sang along with each musical number. About halfway through, they finally decided to satiate Victoria's lust for ice cream and each made themselves a sizable bowl drenched with hot fudge. To Chloe's delight, not even a mouthful of ice cream stopped Max from humming along to the songs. Upon finishing the film, Max reclined onto the floor and smiled.

"I like how Gaston probably gets impaled and everyone's just kind of cool with it," she said.

"Seriously, Disney movies are so fucked up," Victoria respond, an eyebrow raised as she watched the credits scroll on the screen. "Didn't the hunter guy in Tarzan hang himself by accident and you could just see his swinging body?"

_Oh yeah, that one was...rough._

"Hella rad," Chloe laughed. She thought something over, then smirked. "I wish Sean Prescott had a Disney villain death."

_Woah._

"Chloe..." Max looked at her uncomfortably, "I know we hate him but...that seems kind of wrong."

"Fuck that, the bastard should rot," Victoria spat. "I almost wish he never had a chance to get arrested. Hope he slips and breaks his neck."

"Jesus, that's dark," Max said.

"Or like," Chloe giggled, "what if he was just being all pompous and...Prescott-y and the sheer evil inside of him made his head explode!" She threw her arms out. "Pop!"

"Toss Jefferson in there, too," Victoria replied with a scathing tone.

_Alright, maybe him._

"Okay, that one...is a little harder to defend," Max admitted. Though she thankfully didn't think about it too often, the memory of her time in The Dark Room still hung from her ribs in a nauseous swirl whenever it did come to mind.

"Absolutely him too," Chloe added, her own voice crackling with fire. Max reached hand beside her and took Chloe's.

"Do you think we can do a Ouija board or séance or something to curse them?" Victoria asked.

"I actually own a Ouija board," Max laughed. "I mean, it's my dad's but..."

"Holy shit, get it!" Chloe hopped up and down.

_What, seriously?_

"Alright, alright," Max chuckled. "Would you like me to procure a spooky candle as well?"

"Yes, please!" Victoria said, "and fill me up on ice cream?" She held the bowl out, wielding massive puppy eyes.

"Anything else, mistress?" Max mocked, eying the girl was a straight face.

"I'll ring my bell if I think of anything," she responded with a smile.

* * *

"Who should we call?" Victoria asked, licking her spoon.

"Jimi Hendrix," Chloe said matter-of-factly, pantomiming playing a guitar, "I would like to speak with him regarding Purple Haze."

"Cool," Max said, waving the match to put it out, "that sounds like a good use of the paranormal."

"Um, does it not to you?" Chloe asked. "Are we breaking up right now?"

"Yeah," Max replied casually, "later, bitch."

"Marilyn Monroe," Victoria said, "we should figure out how she died."

_That one's not half bad._

"Fell down a manhole, I thought?" Chloe said, looking at Victoria with confusion. The girl leered back at her.

"You two," Max grumbled. She placed the planchette on the board. "Are my friends super lame?" She gasped as she slowly moved it to the 'yes' lettering.

"Oh, it's busted," Chloe pouted. She waved Max's hands away and took control. "Am I going to get hella rich?"

"It's not a fucking Magic 8-Ball," Victoria laughed. Chloe furrowed her brow grumpily and stared at her as she moved it to 'yes.'

"Sick, maybe it's not broken," Chloe said happily, then she looked at Max. "Why does your dad even have this?"

_You should see the random stuff he has in the attic..._

"He's a weirdo?" Max giggled.

"Let's call Oscar Wilde," Victoria suggested, "I bet he has some interesting things to say about the afterlife."

"Fine, sure," Max said, rolling her eyes, "put your damn hands on the thing." Once they did, she cleared her throat. "Oh, Oscar Wilde, uh..." she squinted, "what's up?" Their hands collectively glided to a  _B_  then an  _A,_  followed by  _P_  and  _O._

"Bapo," Chloe said, then she lurched across the board and bopped Victoria on the nose. "Bapo!"

"Maybe that's Irish slang for 'just chilling,'" Max mused. She motioned for Chloe to put her hand back on the planchette and closed her eyes. "Are you in heaven or hell?"

"That seems like a rude question," Victoria said, glancing at Max as they moved the planchette. It moved to  _C_  then  _R_  then  _U_  then finished with  _M, F,_  and  _I._  "Crumfi..." Victoria pondered. "Well, that kind of sounds like comfy. Maybe that means heaven?"

_Maybe clouds are so comfortable they had to make a new word._

"Ha!" Chloe pointed to nowhere in particular, "I  _knew_ sodomy wasn't a sin!"

"Hmm...let's see," Max said, thinking it over, "what is my favorite color?" She smiled impishly, "I don't really even know, so it's a trick question." Again, they dragged the planchette.  _W. E. L. R. M. Q._

"Welermk," Chloe chuckled, "maybe that's a color only fish can see."

"Well, it's my new favorite," Max laughed.

"I got one," Victoria said. "How about 'will Max and Chloe keep their promise that we'll all meet up no matter the distance?'"

_Vic..._

"Dude, really?" Max asked, frowning.

"You have to allow me  _some_ level of insecurity," Victoria argued, holding out her hand.

"Fine," Max said. "Will Chloe and I keep our promise to get together with Victoria no matter what?" Chloe snickered as the planchette slid across the board.  _S. K. H. H. U. D. J. I._

"Skoody," she said. "Skoody, that's yes in ghost language."

"Good enough?" Max asked, eying Victoria with sincerity.

"Alright, yes," Victoria laughed. She pulled her phone out and scrunched her lips together in concentration.

"What's up?" Max asked.

"Just sending a goodnight text," Victoria replied.

"Aww, Dicktoria is so cute," Chloe teased, once again leaning across the board and tapping her nose. "Bapo!"

"I think we're good on that," Victoria said, "no more bapo."

"Deal," Chloe chuckled. "Hey, wanna see something cool?" She licked her thumb and index finger, then pinched the flame of the candle, putting it out.

"Woah, badass," Max said with feigned awe, "you're basically a superhero."

"Flame Woman," Chloe nodded, holding her hands out like claws, "I am a vigilante."

"The name needs work," Victoria laughed, setting her phone down. "Man, I'm kind of beat."

"Yeah, same," Max said. She reached behind her and yanked the blankets from her bed.

_Must be warm cocoon._

"You don't have to sleep on the floor with me," Victoria snickered. Max glanced at Chloe, then back to Victoria.

"We do," she said seriously. Victoria's eyes went wide, then she nodded slowly.

"Is your impulse control that bad?" she asked Chloe.

"Impulse what?" Chloe replied, coiling the blanket around herself. "I've never heard of that."

"Please don't let me wake up to the sound of..." she made a look of disgust, "whatever the sounds would be."

"Yeah, I promise," Max laughed. "Hands above the covers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, right off the bat I'll admit I stretched the Ouija board thing, but it was something my friends and I would do and I had a lot of fun writing it. A bit of self indulgence, if you'll allow it :p
> 
> So, yeah, pretty chill and goofy chapter! It's interesting to use Max's parents in the context of actually being "on screen," I'm enjoying that. I'm thinking maybe one more chapter covering this spring break with the Caulfields and then we'll move on back to Arcadia Bay. Don't worry though, it won't be the last we see of the Caulfields.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it! I'll see you guys for the next chapter!


	61. Where The Heart Is

For what may have been the first time in her life, Max found that spring break didn't go by too fast  _or_ too slow. It somehow felt like just the right pace and she was happy to say that, aside from Chloe's troubles on their first night, she had enjoyed every moment of the vacation. It seemed that Chloe also felt this way, which was a relief. She loved watching her interact with her parents and seeing just how perfectly they got along. With how welcomed she was in the Price household, it felt wonderful to know the reverse was also true. She was acutely aware of how lucky she was to have this, especially given Victoria and Kate's situation. It seemed like just another possible conflict she and Chloe were able to skip over by some stroke of luck. Maybe they'd earned that much.

Though it wasn't something that was planned outright, she grew to really appreciate the somewhat set schedule they had been keeping during their time in Seattle. In the day, she and Chloe would go sightseeing or do various tourist-y things, and then come home just around the time her parents got off from work so that the four of them could spend time together. This usually took the shape of something low key and free of stress, such as watching a movie or playing board games. It all felt very...domestic, but in a way that was very much welcome.

In fact, the only real time any sort of heart rate was required to increase was when Max's grandmother visited. This of course sent Chloe into a spiral of endearing anxiety, but Max would be lying if she said it didn't worry her as well. Even her mother and father seemed to have formulated something of a strategy to smoothly reveal that she and Chloe were dating.

To her grandmother's credit, when all was said and done she didn't really seem phased by the news, though it was concerning at first that she simply had trouble understanding the concept as a sign of sheer ignorance. Still, once she had grasped it, she merely nodded and said 'okay!' before moving on to another topic. It was like she just didn't care, opting to actually speak with the girls than linger on details. She was attentive too, making sure to disperse her 'tell me about how things are going' questions evenly between Max and Chloe. Max could even see Chloe physically relax as she accepted the traditional grandma peace offering of baked goods – luckily without any special ingredients.

Now, it was the last night they'd be spending in Seattle before leaving the next morning. Since they had gone out to dinner the previous night, which seemed like the proper way to 'end' their visit, they were free to spend the night with yet another casual and intimate evening together, strengthening the bonds that had grown over the last two weeks. Though, they had managed to stumble into a rather awkward activity to send things off.

"Ummm, okay," Vanessa said, the tremor of giggles lodged in her throat as she flipped a black card over. " _What made my first kiss so awkward?_ " Her head drooped backward and she squawked. "Real nice, I'm sure this will be PG!"

"Yes, let's make sure we're all being a wholesome family," Max snickered as she poured wine into her glass. "No underage drinking or anything scandalous."

_Pinot Noir, my most favorite friend._

"Figured since it's the last night," Ryan said with a smile, tipping his beer to Chloe. She returned the gesture happily. "Alright, let's see here..." He took a quick swig then set the bottle down, shuffling through his cards.

_Do I have any good ones? Hmm. Ha! "Actually getting shot, for real." A little on the nose, but okay._

"Got mine," Max said, sliding her face down card onto the table.

"You know what  _actually_ made my first kiss awkward?" Vanessa asked, wiggling her eyebrows with the anticipation of a story within her.

"What?" Chloe turned to her with a big, greedy smile. She slammed a card on the table. "Probably not as bad as my card."

"So, I was about...fifteen, I think? It was Valentine's Day," Vanessa said, flitting her hands whimsically. "I was with this boy who, for the life of me, I can't remember his name. But it was our third date."

"Got it," Ryan put down his card. He leaned back and stared intently at Vanessa with a fake pout. "I wasn't your first?"

"Not with kissing, no," Vanessa's voice crackled in a gremlin-esque fashion. Max furrowed her brow.

_Nope. Noooope._

"Oh god, can we not?" she begged. Ryan chuckled and awkwardly took another sip of his beer, avoiding eye contact with Max.

" _Anyway,_ " Vanessa said after a small gulp of wine, "we were at the movies. That much I remember. It was Footloose." She hunched down and smiled wickedly. "So, about halfway through the movie, he reaches for my cheek. Very slowly, he guided my face to his." She turned to Chloe, further slipping into her theatrical posture. "Like a proper gentleman, he looks me in the eyes, searching for any hesitation. Making sure that he and I are on the same page. Making sure the sparks are flying..." She waved a hand over her hand grandiosely. "And then, he leans in and our lips meet. It was magical. Then he thinks, maybe he'll take it one step further. He goes...for the tongue." Vanessa stuck her tongue out.

" _Mom,_ " Max protested, hovering her hands by her ears, "this is so gross."

"Shut the  _fuck_ up, Max," Chloe playfully scolded, tapping her foot against Max's shin under the table, "it's so good." She turned back to Vanessa. "Then what happened!?"

_So glad you've gotten comfortable enough to stop trying to hide your cursing, DARLING. Hmph._

"Then," she began, "then I remembered that I was chewing gum." She glanced at Ryan pridefully and sat back against her chair. " _And_  I vividly remember the moment I no longer was chewing gum.  _And_  the moment when Scotty..." her eyes went wide, "that was his name! Scotty Marrens! Anyway, all of the sudden, he started to choke." She shook her head with a chuckle. "Really badly, actually. Even in the dark theater, I could see his big, bug eyes panicking. So, I..." She hesitated and buried her face in her hands, "punched him. In the chest."

"You did  _what?_ " Ryan asked, completely aghast.

"Punched him!" she repeated, throwing a fist in front of her. "I thought that'd clear his air passage." She shrugged. "Nope, it sure didn't. But he hacked up the gum a few seconds later, groaning in pain from my deadly karate moves, so I guess it did work."

_Holy crap, Mom._

"Holy shit..." Ryan said quietly. "Poor guy."

"That's the greatest story I've ever heard," Chloe said, looking upon Vanessa with reverence.

"I think it's pretty good," she laughed. "Haven't thought about it in forever. Needless to say, there wasn't a fourth date." With a pleasant sigh, she turned her head and shuffled the cards in front of her.

"Can't imagine why," Max said. "He probably thought you were going to kill him."

"That sounds preposterous," Vanessa replied. "Okay, what made my first kiss so awkward? Let's see what you guys came up with..." Looking back, she flipped the first white card. " _Exactly what you'd expect._ " Everyone giggled as she nodded to the card as if to say 'well...' She turned over another. " _Actually getting shot, for real._ " Again, they laughed and she revealed the third card. "Oh my god," she howled, rolling her eyes, " _shitting all over the floor like a bad, bad girl!_ " Ryan lurched forward, clapping a hand to his mouth to stop any beer from spraying out as his body convulsed with laughter. "Well, I guess I have to pick that one..."

_I didn't even know my parents could use those words in that order. This is surreal._

"Yes!" Chloe pumped her fist victoriously and dragged the cards toward her. "It's mah turn!" She picked up a black card. " _I may not look like much, but I fuck like..._ " she threw the card onto the floor beside her, "nope, I'm not doing that one." She drew yet another. " _Nothing says 'I love you' like..._ "

"Ha!" Vanessa squirmed in delight as she immediately placed a card down.

"That was fast," Ryan said, eying her suspiciously.

"It's a good one," she responded. Max pulled her eyes slowly away from her mother, preparing herself for something horrible.

_What are my options this time... 'One of those blowjobs I've been hearing so much about.' OH MY GOD. Okay, either that of 'Being a motherfucking sorcerer.'_

"Boom," Max said, throwing her card down. A second later, Ryan added his.

"Nothing says 'I love you' liiiiike..." Chloe repeated as she shuffled the cards, then flipped one over, " _Running on a treadmill._ " She made a 'pfft' noise. "Nothing says 'I love you' like not making me exercise." She flipped another. " _Farting all over my face with your tight little...ASSHOLE?!_ " She looked up in horror. "I don't even  _know_ who would be the least awkward to have played that!" With a terrified shake of her head, she turned over the final card, " _Being a motherfucking sorcerer._ " After a brief moment of deliberation, she pointed to the last card. "This one. Sorcerers are dope."

_Yusss!_

"Baaaby!" Max cheered, hopping out of her chair to give Chloe a hug. "I knew you'd be impressed by my magic!"

"Of course," she replied, then narrowed her eyes at Max's parents, "who...did the fart one?"

"Me!" Vanessa cackled, raising her hand proudly. "I've been waiting for the right time to play that!"

"I...can't believe my girlfriend's mom made me say that," Chloe said as she stared forward with a traumatic look in her eyes.

"You should have seen some of my other cards," Vanessa responded with a wink.

* * *

After their game, which included even more outrageous and inappropriate things Max wished she'd never heard her parents say, they moved from the kitchen to the living room and settled into what had become 'their' spots.

"Do you girls want me to pack a lunch or anything for your drive tomorrow?" Vanessa asked, coming to sit next to Ryan on the couch with a bundle of yarn in one arm and two needles in the other hand. Chloe looked to Max for her answer, then shook her head.

"No, thank you," she said, "we'll probably stop somewhere on the ride."

"I can't believe the two weeks have passed already," Ryan said, his tone a bit deflated. "I'm going to miss you two."

_Aww, Pop._

"I know," Max replied, "but we'll get to see each other again soon! And you'll be watching me walk to get my diploma!" She pressed her hands to her cheeks and smiled. "It's almost here! No more school for a little while!"

_Yes! I'm so excited!_

"We really are proud of you, sweetie," Vanessa said. She looked away for a moment, her lip tugging to the side awkwardly. "Have you thought about what you'll be doing after? Are you staying in Arcadia Bay?"

_Oh. Hmm..._

"Yeah..." Max answered, realizing she hadn't had this conversation with them yet. "That's the plan. I think, um, I think I'll probably be staying with Chloe."

"Hell yeah," Chloe added, burying her face into Max's shoulder, "roomies!"

"That's fine," Vanessa said, "but I'll have you know that we'd like to see you a little more often." She smiled. "If that means us coming down there, that's okay! We just miss you." She pointed at Chloe. "And now we're going to miss her! This is unfair."

"I'm so glad you guys like me, holy crap," Chloe chuckled. "But yeah, seriously. I'm not at all opposed to making this drive more often. It's way easier than I thought." She showed her teeth in a growling expression. "I could have driven up here so...many times..."

_Babe, don't go there._

"Point is, we'll be back," Max interjected, squashing Chloe's sentence.

"Good," Ryan nodded, "we just don't want to go too long without our girls."

"More Skype calls too," Chloe suggested. She jerked upright. "Oh! And you'll totally have to come to The Two Whales to let me wait on you! You need to see my skills in action."

"That goes without saying," Vanessa laughed. "We  _have_ to get some tasty Two Whales food."

"I don't know how I'm not sick of their food yet," Max giggled, "I feel like I eat it every other day."

"You  _do,_ " Chloe said seriously.

"It used to be  _the_ spot to hang out when we were your age," Ryan said. "Late at night, going in there with friends to get a milkshake or something. I loved it. Those were the days, man."

"It's still like that a little," Max responded. "We always end up going there in groups to harass Chloe." She thought for a moment. "I'll have to introduce you to my other friends! Victoria was probably the toughest pill to swallow, so it's smooth sailing from there."

"Aw, come on," Vanessa said, quirking her head with pity, "she was sweet. I really liked her."

"I'm only teasing," Max laughed, "it's like our thing. Pretending to be catty with each other."

" _Pretending?_ " Chloe snarked.

"See?" Max gestured to Chloe, "catty." The girl made a paw with her hand and swiped it forward.

"As long as she knows," Vanessa said, "make sure you're not hurting her feelings." She began pulling the needle through the yarn masterfully.

_Mom advice._

"Trust me, she does," Max assured, "she started it."

"She really did," Chloe added, then pointed at Vanessa. "What are you making?"

"Oh," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "not sure yet. It's just kind of a mindless thing to do."

"We have a lot of just...patches of yarn," Ryan laughed.

"Hey," Vanessa aimed a needle at him, "don't look a gift knitter in the yarn."

"That sounds like a riddle or something," Max snickered.

Idle chat carried them through the next few hours, with occasional silence to pay attention to the television. Around midnight, there was a collective decision to get some sleep and, after saying goodnight to her parents, Max and Chloe went up to her room.

* * *

"Ring, ding, ding, ding, dingeringeding!" Chloe sang, bouncing on her knees on the bed.

"That's what they say, huh?" Max asked, lying flat with her head on the pillow. Her finger swiped back and forth on her phone, her lips moving to the left and right as she focused.

"Yeah, I mean, probably," Chloe laughed, finally throwing herself into the mattress. "So, what time did you want to head out tomorrow?"

"I don't know, I was thinking around lunchtime?" Max muttered a 'dammit' under her breath and dropped her phone beside her. "I hate that game."

_Seriously, fuck your dumb candy._

"That works," Chloe said, "that way we don't have to get up crazy early." She took hold of Max's hand and rested her cheek in it. "Crazy to be heading back, right?"

"A little, yeah," Max admitted. "But I miss everyone, so I'm looking forward to it."

"This summer we definitely need to come back up here, though," Chloe said. She flipped onto her back and wiggled her pants off. "It has a cool atmosphere, plus my second parents are very cool."

"Told you," Max chuckled, "and you were worried."

"Meh meh meh," Chloe mumbled, nipping at Max's ear. "You're just so fucking clairvoyant, ain't ya?"

"When it comes to you being a doofus, yeah, I am," Max shot back, throwing herself to the side so she rolled on top of Chloe.

"I resent such name calling," she said, smashing her pouting lips against Max's nose. She craned her neck around Max and 'oooh'd.' "Sweet, it lava'd. I love the first 'gloop' ball."

"You're really enamored by that, huh?" Max asked. "Now I know what to get you next Christmas."

"Oh, hell yes!" Chloe smiled wide.

_It's cute how such little things can get you excited._

"Then it's a deal," Max snickered. She laid her cheek flat on Chloe's chest. "It's nice to have a starting point."

"And  _ten_ pictures!" Chloe laughed, attacking Max's side in tickles.

"Oh god, stop!" Max yelled, involuntarily spewing laughter. Chloe pulled her hands away, then gave her a quick kiss on the nose.

"Your laugh is just like, seriously the best," she said.

"Screw you, dude," Max replied.

"Oooh, okay," Chloe teasingly purred, "flat-head or Phillips?" Max raised her head and stared at her with raised eyebrows.

"Drill," she whispered, then exacted tickle revenge.

* * *

"Alright," Ryan said, bent down into the bed of the truck. He hooked a finger in one of the stretchy cables and tugged. "That should keep your things a little more secure." He stood back up and nodded.

"Thanks, Dad," Max said, leaning into him. She glanced at the ground, then back to him and her mother. "I think I feel a cry coming on."

_Wasn't anticipating this. Noooo._

"Don't cry, sweetie," Vanessa chuckled, slinging an arm over her shoulders, "we'll see you again soon."

"I know," she said, "still..." She drew in a slow breath, and stretched her hands out at her side in a show of composing herself. "No crying." She looked behind her to see Chloe moving around on the other side of the truck, fidgeting with something in the driver's seat. "Babe? I think it's time to say bye."

"Uh huh, one sec," Chloe replied. Max noticed a strange quiver in her voice.

"Chlo..." she said, creeping around to her, "you okay?" Chloe spun around with a crazed look, her eyes glassy. "Oh, come  _on!_ " Max yelled, feeling her eyes well up. "Not fair!"

_Dammit, Chloe!_

"Allergies." Chloe pointed to her eyes, then hung her head as she laughed. "Yeah, right."

"Come on," Max said, shaking her head with a smile as she led Chloe back to her parents. She stopped and stared at them, her brow knitting together. "Please hug us and make us leave."

"Yes ma'am," Ryan laughed, pulling her into a hug. "We'll miss you."

"Very, very much," Vanessa tacked on as she embraced Chloe. "Give Joyce our love, okay?" She pecked Chloe on the top of the head.

"Uh huh," Chloe whimpered, then her and Max switched hug recipients.

"Drive safe and give us updates," Ryan said.

"Will do," Max responded. She wiped her eyes and smiled. "It's been awesome being back. I love you guys."

"Love you too," Vanessa said, then smirked at Chloe, "both of you."

"Ahhhh Jesus," Chloe shifted her feet, "I love you guys too. This is too emotional. I'm gonna throw up."

_Ugh, no. Don't._

"This is like the least sad farewell I've ever had," Ryan chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"Not your call," Chloe mumbled, then stepped back and sighed. "Alright, alright. Let's go."

"Right," Max said. She exchanged two more quick hugs, then climbed into the truck. "We'll call you."

"Sounds good," Ryan said, putting his arm around Vanessa.

"Bye." Chloe gave one last sad wave, then joined Max in the truck. The engine groaned to life and they backed out of the driveway.

"Love ya!" Max called again, waving through the window as they started down the street.

* * *

"She has a pool..." Chloe mused as they pulled into the driveway. "I guess it's not quite nice enough to take a dip, huh?"

"The water's probably like sixty degrees, so I'd say no," Max laughed. She looked over the large, blue house with curiosity. "Blue...I guess that makes sense for them being all artsy." She waved her hand. "Anyway, I do think we should maybe go to the beach sometime this summer. That sounds fun, right? Wherever the best spot is for all the oceans. All of them." She narrowed her eyes. "Like, warm but not...pee warm, know what I'm saying?"

_Pee warm is not ideal._

"Skoody," Chloe replied, then jammed her palm into the car horn. "Princess, your chariot is here!" she screamed through the open window. Before her following laughter could fade entirely, the front door opened and Victoria stepped out, hauling two bags with her.

_Ah, our third._

"Need help?" Max asked, leaning out of the window.

"No, I've got it..." Victoria said, waddling to the truck, "just put it in the back?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, "there's some bungee cables to make sure nothing flies out on the ride." Victoria nodded and continued to the bed. "It's time like these I wish I had a backseat," Chloe said to Max.

"We'll be fine," Max chuckled, "we can stop to stretch our legs if we need to."

"Or make her sit in the bed," Chloe snickered. Max rolled her head side to side as if debating, then opened the door before unbuckling and scooting closer to Chloe.

_Probably a couple laws forbidding that._

"Are your parents home?" Max asked as Victoria climbed in. "I've always wondered what the Chase family is like."

"Nope, they're at work or something," Victoria responded, clicking her seat belt into place, "I said bye to them last night."

"Damn, wanted to get a glimpse," Chloe said, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. "Oh well, maybe at your guys' graduation."

"Probably, yeah," Victoria relaxed against the headrest, "I'm sure it'll be a grand ol' time." She turned to them. "Hey, thanks for offering to take me with you."

"No problem," Chloe threw the truck into reverse and backed out, "it'll be fun. Max and I love singing road songs. Like ninety-nine bottles of percs on the wall." Victoria opened the door, causing a warning beep to spring from the dashboard.

"Okay bye," she said, laughing as Max yanked her back in.

_Get back here!_

"I do not allow such nonsense," Max assured, pulling one leg underneath her and squirming to fit as comfortably as possible. "The road songs or jumping out of moving vehicles."

"Buzzkill," Chloe pouted, then turned to look through the back window, "and awaaay we go!"

* * *

"I brought a few snacks," Victoria said, rifling through the small back she had kept with her, "if it's okay to eat in here."

"Yeah, clearly cleanliness is something I've got a hard-on for," Chloe laughed, pointing to the roof of the cab, "I don't even know how that stain got up there or what it is, but it's accompanied me for like two years now."

_I've been wondering what that is._

"That's kind of gross," Victoria said, staring up at it in disgust. "Well, anyway..." She tore open a bag of Bugles and then held it out for Max.

"Witch fingahs," she said, placing two on her fingertips. Without taking her eyes off the road, Chloe moved her head toward her with her mouth open, and Max placed one finger in her mouth. "You know, there's something very calming about being on the highway. Just a straight line of...chill."

"It does have a certain...rhythm to it," Victoria agreed.

"Oh, you piece of  _fuck!_ " Chloe shouted, swerving into the next lane as a car rumbled past them. Max smiled when the girl instinctively threw an arm across her chest.

_Aw, my extra seat belt._

"Jinxed it," Max feigned a pout.

"Wow, fuck that guy," Victoria grumbled, taking out her phone, "I'm taking down his tags." She narrowed her eyes at the car. "3864- aaand it's gone."

"Are you seriously that kind of person?" Chloe laughed. "Tattletale, tattletale."

"They could kill somebody!" she argued. "I mean, seriously, can you imagine how fucked up a car wreck could be?"

_Errr._

"Mmn," was all Chloe could vocalize, puckering her lips as she stared through the windshield. Max glanced to her, then decided to take the chance on whether or it'd be okay to talk about.

"Chloe's dad," Max said, her lip quirking sadly, "that's how...eh, you know."

"Oh god," Victoria pressed a hand to her heart with wide eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's cool," Chloe responded. "Your assessment was correct, at least. Car wrecks aren't great. Pretty much the opposite."

"Did, uh..." Victoria paused, "did they get the other driver?"

"He didn't survive either," Chloe said casually, "lost half his face on the pavement, I think."

_I didn't know that, I don't think._

"Jesus," Victoria blew air through her lips and thudded back against the seat, "I really wish I got the rest of that guy's plate."

"Yeah," Chloe said, then slapped her hand on the steering wheel, " _anyway,_  I'd like some more Bugles."

_More Bugles, less sad._

"Here, babe." Max brought a handful to Chloe's mouth and the girl chomped into them, not unlike feeding an animal. "So, this is lighthearted..." She turned the knob on the stereo, escalating the volume. She turned to Victoria and made devil horns.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's called 'Victoria Doesn't Know Good Music,'" Chloe responded with a grin.

"I do too," she scoffed.

"They're called The Antlers," Max laughed, "this mix is mine."

"I like it," Victoria said after a moment of thought. Max put her thumbs to her temples and stretched her fingers, mimicking antlers. Victoria smirked and once again reached into her bag, taking out her camera. She nodded for Max to continue the gesture, and snapped a photo.

_That's new. She's never wanted to take a photo of us before._

"I feel honored to be a Victoria Chase subject," Max giggled, lowering her hands.

"As you should," she replied, "it's not every day I bestow such an honor."

"You've seriously lost all your thorns, you know that?" Chloe chuckled, "I don't know if it's Kate or what, but you're such a softie now."

"Oh fuck you, whore," Victoria snipped, bringing out a proud nod from Chloe in response.

_Good try, Vic!_

"It lacks authenticity," Max said. "No punch."

"And fuck you as well," she added.

"Like getting punched with a pillow." Max softly pressed her fist into Victoria's shoulder. "Pillow punch."

"Fine," Victoria huffed, going to work on her phone, "I'm texting Warren that we're playing Smash when we get home. I'll show you a pillow punch."

* * *

While Chloe leaned against her truck, watching as the numbers soared higher as the gas filled her tank, Max and Victoria meandered through the convenience store. Max walked down the snack aisle, silently judging which were good and which she disliked. Once she reached the end, she swung around to the next aisle and found Victoria looking over a small stuffed animal.

"Whatcha got?" Max asked, coming to stand beside her.

"For Kate," Victoria replied, holding it out. It was a tiny, white rabbit.

_It's a little Alice!_

"Oh, she'll love that! It's so cute!" Max perused through the display of animals, picking up an owl. "So, when are you going to have your big talk with her?"

"I don't know," Victoria sighed, "I want to tonight but it feels shitty to come home and spring that on her right away. I mean, I  _did_ miss her. I'd rather have a night of...being back together."

"Er...yeah," Max said, "I get that, but it also sucks to keep procrastinating." She picked up a cat with gigantic eyes. "Look at this guy."

_What have you been doing that your eyes are so dilated, Mr. Kitty?_

"He's cute too," Victoria said. "And I do know. I feel kind of like time's running out with prom coming up. I really..." a flicker of irritation ran through her features, "I really  _don't_ want to do this whole pretend to be just friends thing. That's such bullshit."

"I know," Max nodded, "I know. That sucks." She snickered and put the stuffed animal down. "You know, that was the first time I ever wanted to really punch someone in the mouth. Her mom, I mean."

"You should have," Victoria responded.

_Brawl in the Marsh household._

"Yeah, that would've gone over well." Max shrugged. "At least Abby is on our side and...maybe her dad? I don't know how he'll react to his daughter being with a girl but he at least seems willing to try and understand."

"Why did I have to fall for the girl with the insane, religious family?" Victoria asked, smacking a hand to her face. "I fucking hate my heart sometimes."

"You do enjoy taking the difficult path, huh?" Max laughed.

"Fuck the yellow brick road, I'm gonna skip through the briar patch!" Victoria said, enthusiastically swinging her arm with a thumbs up.

"Should've said marsh," Max snirked, picking up another animal.

"Yo," Chloe called, coming up to them with her arms out, "I've been waiting out there for like five minutes! The hell are you two doing?"

"Do you want one of these?" Max asked, ignoring the question and pointing at the display of stuffed animals.

"I want you guys in the truck!" she laughed, snaking her arm around Max's shoulders.

"Sorry," Victoria said, "we got wrapped up in 'real talk.' Let me just pay for this and get a pack of cigarettes and I'll be out."

"You got three minutes," Chloe said, holding up three fingers as she escorted Max to the exit, "or we leave without you."

"Oh wow." Max pointed at the sign with gas prices on it. "The prices are way cheaper here than home."

"How much you want to bet that's another Prescott touch?" Chloe asked, following Max's finger with her eyes.

"There's no way he can affect gas prices like that," Max responded. She stopped as she grabbed the handle of the door and raised an eyebrow. "Right?"

"Wouldn't even," Chloe grunted as she hopped over the edge of the truck bed, then down off the other side, "be surprised." She yanked open her door.

"You make it sound like he's the entire economy of Arcadia Bay," she snickered, though it lacked joy.

_Scary thought._

"Your dad made it seem that way," she replied. "He was talking all kinds of mad shit that one night." She clicked her seat belt in place and shook her head. "Like, with genuine anger."

"That's...unlike him." Max settled in next to her and began to close the door, but stopped and threw it back open as Victoria hurried to the truck. "We were almost gone."

"Yeah right," Victoria laughed as she piled in, "how would you explain that to Kate?"

"Probably tell her that you went to a nice farm to play with all of the other Victorias," Chloe said, smiling deviously at the girl.

"But really we just flushed you down the toilet," Max added.

"Cool, it'd be like an alligator in the sewers kind of thing," Victoria chuckled, slipping her shoes off and settling in.

"Better than crocodiles," Max said, leaning toward her and shielding her mouth, "Chloe's scared of them."

"Not anymore!" she argued, twisting the key in the ignition with a scowl.

* * *

"Did you guys ever play Oregon Trail?" Max asked as they crossed the state line.

"Yeah, we played it together," Chloe replied, "you don't remember that?" Max thought for a moment, then nodded.

"A few times," Victoria said, "I never beat it."

_Wasn't that hard, Vic._

"Isn't it crazy that people used to die from diarrhea?" Max shook her head seriously. "That's fucked up."

"Dysentery is like an actual illness," Victoria laughed, tucking her phone away, "it's not just...you know, shitting."

"How did we get here?" Chloe asked, gesturing at the windshield. "How did the conversation reach this point?"

"We're on the Oregon trail?" Max shrugged with a smile.

"The Oregon highway," Chloe corrected. "I don't see any broken down wagons."

"I wouldn't help them if we did," Victoria said sternly, "what kind of psychopath would be driving a wagon on the freeway? They'd murder us for sure."

_I guess don't let Victoria near the Amish, then._

"That seems a little presumptuous," Max said, swishing her finger around the stereo's volume dial.

"I stand by it." Victoria crossed her arms. "I'm not getting hacked to pieces by a...wheel spoke."

"I think that'd be a bludgeoning," Max chuckled, "but point taken." Her stomach growled and she clutched both hands to it. "Speaking of stomach issues, I'm getting hungry, guys."

"I could eat too," Victoria replied, "where do we want to go?"

"I think I know just the place," Chloe said, pointing at a highway sign, "let's go be nasty."

After a brief bit of bickering in the drive-thru, they procured their food and Chloe did a lap around the building, pulling into a parking space and hopping out. They set up shop in the bed of her truck, with Max resting against the suitcases and Victoria on one side while Chloe sat on the edge of the other.

"Give," Chloe said, leaning forward and yanking the cup out of Victoria's hands. She took a long pull from the straw, then smacked her lips with satisfaction. "Okay, pretty tasty."

"Right?" Victoria took it back and set the cup next to her, grabbing a handful of fries and stuffing them into her face. "I like their milkshakes," she muffled.

"Chicken goo," Max said, dipping a nugget into some sauce and then popping it in her mouth whole.

_Youtube teaches you about the worst things._

"Not...appetizing," Victoria said, furrowing her brow. She slid down a bit and laid her head on the edge of the truck bed. "The stars are surprisingly clear."

"Hmm...yeah, they are," Chloe responded. She clicked on her phone next to her and laughed. "It's like nine o'clock and we still have an hour and a half to go. We really took our time."

"It's nice though," Max said, "a little adventure before returning to the status quo."

_Beat poets on the move._

"I know, I have to work balls early tomorrow," Chloe said with a pout.

"And we have school." Victoria nodded in a show of consolidation.

"Looks like our game of Smash will have to wait," Max said, "unless you want to wake everyone up."

" _Quick! Warren! Get up! We have to kick Victoria's ass virtually!"_

"Nah, I'll fuck you guys up tomorrow," Victoria replied with a snicker. "I can't decide if I should just go to my room or see if Kate's up. We've been, uh," she blushed, "sleeping together more often."

"In what capacity?" Chloe asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

" _Sleeping_ sleeping," Victoria clarified with a smirk, "cuddling."

_D'aww._

"I figured, but thought I'd ask," Chloe chuckled. She took the nugget that Max held out to her. "How's that been?"

"So fucking nice," Victoria sighed dreamily. "I forgot how great it feels to have someone to hold at night." She winced and looked down at her knees. "I feel...weird about that. The last person I shared a bed with was, uh..."

_I have an inkling..._

"It's alright, Vic," Max said, nudging her foot against Victoria's leg in support. "I know it must feel...kind of messed up."

"It makes me feel like some kind of...double agent or something?" Victoria's lips bundled to the side. "Going from one end of the spectrum to the complete opposite like that."

"Looking back can really show you how crazy the road has been," Chloe said, nodding with a look that said much more than her words. "The good and the bad."

_And what a road it's been._

"I know this sounds like a dramatic and naive eighteen year old thing," Victoria said, "but this kind of feels like the most defining year I'll ever have in my life. It's just  _so_ weird and full of...unbelievable shit."

"You're not alone there," Max said, looking at Chloe, "it's pretty insane."

"In a good way, though," Chloe added in a chipper tone. "I mean, when the dust settles, things turned out pretty good."

"I guess so," Victoria shrugged, "I'm happy. Like, actually happy and not just pretending or happy because of my vanity. But it's still kind of..." she glanced to the side in thought, "sore?"

"Scars," Max agreed, "certain things have definitely left a mark."

_There was a LOT of dust that had to settle._

"Yeah, that's a good way of putting it," Victoria said. She stretched her legs out in front of her and wiggled her feet from one side to the other. "It still feels kind of dreamlike. Like when we graduate, it'll finally be rejoining the 'real' world. Busting out of the weird bubble of Blackwell."

"I don't even go to Blackwell and I feel you," Chloe said, her voice stifled by the burger in her mouth.

"I heard they're actually handing out red pills at graduation," Max chuckled. "Congrats! Here's a diploma! Now you get to wake up in a pond of pink goo."

"Pond of Pink Goo is my riot grrl band name," Chloe said with a smile, holding her hands in front of her as if plucking on a bass. "We play behind the thrift store every Wednesday."

"Gross," Victoria laughed. She lifted her head and looked past Max and Chloe with an eyebrow cocked. "We have company."

_Oh?_

"Uh, hey," a woman wearing the McDonald's uniform said, "you can't really loiter out here." She was holding herself timidly.

"We bought your food?" Chloe said with a confused inflection, holding up the bag with their logo on it.

"Yeah but, you can't like...sit out in the parking lot," she said.

"You closed the dining room!" Chloe argued back. "Where are we supposed to eat?"

"Look, my manager sent me out here," the woman held up her hands in defense, "don't shoot the messenger."

_She says with a red laser dot on her forehead..._

"What would Mr. McDonald say if he heard this is how you treat your paying customers?" Chloe asked, swinging her legs over the edge of the truck bed so she faced the woman.

"I'm...I'm pretty sure they're dead," she responded.

"We know how to use a Ouija board." Chloe squinted as she pointed at her.

"What?" The woman shook her head in disbelief. "What is the deal with you guys?"

_Aw, I feel bad. But it is kind of funny._

"We were having a heart to heart conversation and you interrupted us," Victoria replied snootily.

"Uh...sorry?" The employee threw her hands up, flustered. "Can you please just leave?"

"Fine," Chloe hopped down off the truck, "but know that we'll be making a call to Ronald." Victoria muttered as she also climbed out of the bed, followed by Max who could only quietly laugh at the situation.

"He's...he's just a mascot!" the woman shouted, her raised hands now tensing into claws.

_Thank god. The dude is creepy._

"E-I-E-I-O!" Chloe shouted back, cackling as she got in the truck.

"I don't get paid enough for this," she sighed, her shoulders slouching.

"You don't," Max agreed, "sorry about them!" She climbed into the passenger side, then gave the woman a friendly wave.

* * *

"There's the lighthouse," Victoria said, leaning forward as she peered through the windshield. "Always there. Always...waiting for your return."

_You have no idea, Vic._

"I'm not even sure I've ever seen it guiding a ship in," Chloe said, stealing a glance at the tall beacon.

"Really?" Victoria asked. "I can hear the foghorn sometimes. Maybe it's usually at night."

_Or they're ghost ships, woOoOoOo!_

"That could be," Chloe responded, then she smiled. "Secret ninja ships full of drugs."

"Could you imagine? What a scandal that would be," Max laughed.

"Seriously," Chloe chuckled, "I can see the news broadcast now: Sleepy Oregon town home to massive naval drug ring. You would not  _believe_ the amount of drugs on board this thing. It is just, wow, it's a party and a half. Back to you, Steve."

_Chloe's news anchor voice is so great._

"Steve is so jelly he's not out in the field," Max said, finishing off the last of her drink and then setting the empty cup on the floor. "He's like, fuck, I should've been a field reporter!"

"This place is so eerie at night," Victoria said contemplatively, redirecting the conversation, "there's barely any lights on. You'd think it was a ghost town."

"Yeah, except for..." Chloe leaned forward as they continued down the street, "bam!" She pointed at The Two Whales. "I can't believe I'm proud of that place but here I fuckin' am! Bam! Bam!"

"The need for pancakes never sleeps," Max agreed. "It is an eternal feeling."

"I bet Frank's in there," Chloe said, slowing down as if she could see into the kitchen. "Can't wait to talk to him about his little get together. It'd actually be kind of cool to bring Warren and Kate around him more."

_You just don't want to be the oldest one in a group setting._

"Oh, yeah," Victoria said dryly, "that fun conversation." She clutched her hands together daintily and held them by her cheek. "Oh Kate, darling, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"You're getting to sound like a broken record," Chloe responded frustratedly.

"Ugh, I know, sorry." Victoria slammed herself back into her seat as she crossed her arms. "And all I want to do is hug her."

"You're so in love," Max teased.

"Get that word away from me," Victoria fluttered her hand as if shooing away an insect.

"Loooove," Max repeated in a ghostly moan, wriggling her fingers.

_You cannot hide from your feelings!_

Several minutes later, they finally made it to Blackwell and pulled into the parking lot, with all three simultaneously sighing at completing their journey. Without a word, they got out of the car and moseyed to the back where they collected their things. The brief stretch of silence was broken by Max's yawn.

"Sleepy," she mumbled, setting a bag down to rub at her eye.

"It's not even that late for us," Chloe said, regarding her playfully. She pulled the strap of one of the bags over her shoulder. "It's just now party time."

_No party. No time. Only sleep._

"Driving is tiring," Victoria said, staring at Max grumpily as her voice fluctuated with a yawn. "Contagious."

"I did all the driving, you losers," Chloe chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah," Victoria said, starting toward the stairs. "It's still a thing to just be sitting there doing nothing and get tired from it." Chloe snorted as she and Max followed behind her.

"Blackwell, why you so...here?" Max asked in a singsong voice.

_Where did you come from?_

"It is definitely here," Chloe agreed with a snicker. She groaned as they reached the courtyard to the dormitories, switching the bag to her other shoulder. "Look who's up."

"He still creeps me out a little," Victoria said, avoiding eye contact as she went straight for the door.

_Alright Max, wake up for a second so you can be nice._

"You guys are mean," Max whispered, breaking from the path to approach Samuel. He was surrounded by several squirrels, chatting with them in his ever so endearingly off way. "Hey Samuel, you're up late."

"Hello Max," he responded, then slowly waved to Chloe and Victoria, "and hello to you two as well. It's a lovely night. The stars are singing."

_Right, just skirt on past that._

"It is!" she said, "and...they are? Uh, well, we just got back from our vacation." She planted a hand on her waist and gave a sneaky smile. "Anything interesting happen while we were gone?"

"Not that Samuel noticed," he said, "and Samuel always notices."

_You should take a...class on how to socialize, maybe._

"We can always count on you to be the eyes and ears of Blackwell," Chloe said, finally coming to stand by Max, followed by a reluctant Victoria.

"And the tongue, when it can be helped," he replied. He looked down at one of the squirrels and smiled, then back up to the girls. "Did you enjoy your break?"

"Yes," Max nodded, "it was a much needed change of pace. But I'm happy...ish to be back." She squinted and rocked her head back and forth.

"That's good," he said, then he looked Chloe up and down, "you have recovered well. There must have been a favorable discount." Chloe huffed and threw her head back in exasperation.

"Look, man, I appreciate your..." she waved her hand through the air, " _continued_ commentary on my being capped, but I think we can move on, you know?"

"Sorry," he chuckled, "Samuel can ruminate overly long sometimes. I'll say no more."

"Cool," she gave him a halfhearted thumbs up. Max watched as one of the squirrels twitched its nose, looking her up and down.

_They really love him. I can't believe they're not running from us._

"Well," Victoria said, elongating the word, "I guess we better head to bed. Have a...good night." She tugged on Max's shoulder.

_Alright, alright. Coming._

"Yeah, have a good one, Samuel," Max laughed. He nodded back and turned his attention to the squirrels once more.

"Fucking weirdo talking to himself," Victoria muttered as they entered the dorms.

"He was talking to the squirrels!" Max said, nudging her with her elbow.

_Give him some credit, eh?_

"Yeah, alright," Victoria scoffed, "maybe next time he should actually make sure some are around before striking up conversation."

"Wait, huh?" Max snickered. "There were!"

"I didn't see any," Victoria replied. Max's pace slowed and she looked at Chloe, who seemed to be sharing the same confusion.

_Uh...what?_

"Oh..." Max said slowly, not exactly sure how to respond, "must have been out of your view?"

"Yep, must have!" Victoria said emphatically as she screeched to a stop at Kate's door and turned to them. "Um, she texted me that she's awake, so..." She nodded to the door.

"Right," Chloe said, "enjoy your Kate snuggles."

"Will do." She hugged Max, then Chloe. "Hey, thanks again for letting me ride with you. So much better than a plane."

"Yeah, it was fun," Max said. "Catch you in the morning for class?"

"You know it," Victoria gripped the doorknob, then she looked over her shoulder with devilish eyes. "And be prepared to get your ass kicked in Smash."

"Go the fuck to sleep," Chloe laughed, pulling Max away from her and to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate it! If not...well, still happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for all of you guys. You've made a lot of difference in my life.
> 
> Also, for the record, those are all real Cards Against Humanity questions and answers I found on the simulation on their website. That's fun.


	62. The Devil Wears Nada

"The Prescotts have had this coming for a hundred years," Chloe said, "and nobody is going to get in my way. Especially with your help...right?" As she spoke, her eyes stared holes into the banner draped over the gym entrance that read 'END OF THE WORLD PARTY.'

Max took a quick glance at the banner, then turned to Chloe. She couldn't help but notice the graffiti under the rear window announcing  _'You are about to die'_ in sloppy handwriting. She leaned forward and placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"I'm with you to the end, Chloe. You know that," she replied. She watched uneasily as Chloe picked the gun up from beside her and looked it over, running her fingers along the chamber. She slipped it into her waist band against her lower back. With a look of determination, she got out of the truck and Max hurried to do the same.

"Oh, shit, this is like that eclipse!" A boy swayed side to side, his arm wrapped around the shoulders of a girl who seemed considerably more sober.

"You're right," she said, shifting her shoulder to support him better, "look at the outline." Max stopped and followed their gaze, her eyes growing wide.

"What is that?" she asked, confusion and fear spreading through her voice. She reached for Chloe to get her attention, but the girl was too many steps ahead. "Jesus, Chloe, look up at the sky!"

Above them, two perfectly full moons stared down like burning eyes, as if God were bending down to observe his creations. It didn't make sense. Most things hadn't in the previous days, but this was a new foray into the impossible. The peering, bright orbs reflected themselves in Max's eyes and she audibly gulped.

"Beautiful, I don't give a shit," Chloe said flatly, turning away, "the world is ending. Cool." Max looked at her incredulously.

"You're not listening!" she said, going after her. She gestured back to the sky. "Something major is going down!"

"That's right," Chloe stared down at her, her voice carrying poison, "Nathan Prescott is going down."

She turned her back again and marched her way up the stairs. Max hesitated for only a moment, throwing her head back in resignation before following her. She checked over her shoulder two more times at the double moons. When she fixed her attention back in front of her the second time, she instinctively smiled at the normalcy of seeing Warren.

"Welcome to the end of the world, ladies..." he said, but the rest of his sentence faded. Rising from the ground like liquid, the bubbling, orange aura gripped everything in sight and scattered it to dust, rebuilding it into an entirely new scene.

"It's so weird how it's so far away," Chloe said, lying on her back in the grass with her arms tucked behind her head. "It seems so close, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Max responded, lifting her hand lazily into the air and pointing an index finger at the moon. She turned her hand to the side and brought out her thumb, closing one eyes as she fit the moon between her fingers. "I think it's so pretty. And it's just...space trash?" She chuckled as she turned to Chloe.

"I know," she giggled back, "it's just a dumb rock! I can't believe it affects the ocean and everything."

"It has such a big..." Max searched for the right word, "I don't know, impact for being so far." She let her hand fall back to the grass, where she absentmindedly clutched at a tuft of it.

"So does the sun, Max," Chloe snickered. Max smacked her lips and shot Chloe a dirty look. "No, I get what you mean," she relented, flitting her hand casually. "At least the test should be easy, right? I've been studying my ass off and nothing is going to stop me from acing it."

"Oh, there are the stargazers!" William called as he slid open the backdoor. He stepped out into the yard and looked up at the moon, then sat down next to Chloe with the exaggerated 'oof' that older people made. "You girls enjoying the view?"

"Yes," Max answered, "it's really beautiful." Her face screwed into an awkward wince when she realized she'd been looking at Chloe as she spoke, and she quickly turned back to the sky.

"It is," William agreed. "I find it comforting that you can always count on it being there, just as you can count on the sun rising."

"Mr. Walters says the sun will eventually burn out," Chloe said with an impish smile.

"Not for a long, long time," William chuckled, tapping the back of his hand on the girl's knee. "You know, there was a point when I was younger, maybe around your age, that I wanted to be an astronaut."

"Pfft, really?" Chloe asked.

"Oh, definitely," he nodded, "imagining that feeling of weightlessness, serenely floating above the Earth... It seems a bit like heaven."

"It'd be lonely, though," Chloe pointed out. William laughed quietly and ran a hand through her hair.

"You're never  _really_ alone," he said. "There's an entire universe out there that we're just a small part of. Even if you feel lonely, someone will be thinking of you. Even if it's a star too far away to see."

"That doesn't make sense, Dad," Chloe said, eying him suspiciously.

"Maybe it's an adult thing," he said, shrugging, "but I really believe that. Maybe there are even other universes that we don't know about, calmly moving right alongside ours." He puckered his lips and gave himself a nod of realization. "That's probably a little more above your current curriculum," he admitted. He took in a deep, thankful breath and then patted her on the leg. "Okay, time for bed, you two. We have pancakes to make in the morning! Your mother will be so impressed."

The orange filter weaved between them, tugging at them until Chloe and her father were gone and Max stood in the gym bathroom, back in her eighteen year old body. She was staring at a writing on the wall that read 'KILL THE PRESCOTTS.' After a moment of looking around the bathroom, and checking on Justin one last time, she made her way to the divider separating the Vortex Club from the rest of the party. As she began to speak, a flurry of orange washed over her, and the next second she was standing in front of Taylor.

"How has Nathan been scary?" she asked, but before Taylor could respond, the burning filter swept around her, repositioning her next to Chloe in Principal Wells' office.

"Nathan Prescott the Third. Oooh, he's so money," Chloe mocked. "And you know the Prescotts dropped major bank to bury Nathan's real file..." She scrolled through one of the documents. "Look, it reads like a rap sheet. Bad grades, teacher complaints, secret probation..." She scoffed. "But  _I_ was expelled?"

Max leaned forward, silently reading over the note detailing Nathan's offenses:

_The following is a list of reported incidents involving Nathan Prescott. There seems to be a pattern of outbursts and confrontations followed by remorse and repentance. We suggest his parents remove him from the school and place him under expert psychological supervision._

_Throwing a desk in class_

_Cursing at his English teacher_

_Lighting firecrackers in the bathroom_

_Stealing school supplies_

_Threatening the school custodian_

_Attempted theft of campus "Tobanga" statue_

"At least Nathan was finally suspended," Max replied. "Check out that note... Open it."

"That's just some crazy drawing," Chloe said.

In a flash of fluctuating orange, Chloe was fourteen again, pulling the front door open after a frantic knock had been beating against it.

"Mrs. Caulfield?" Chloe asked, her voice lilting in confusion as she looked at Vanessa. Behind her, she could see Max's father with his head down in the car, still purring idly.

"Oh, honey, you-" Vanessa tried to speak, but clapped a hand to her mouth as she sobbed. She reached for Chloe and took hold of her.

"Mom?" Max asked, appearing behind Chloe with an eyebrow raised, "what's wrong?"

"You girls have to come with us, okay?" She squeezed Chloe tightly, then brushed her hair behind her ear. "Your mother called. There's been an accident and... Just come with us."

"An accident?" Chloe asked, watching as the tears fell down Vanessa's cheeks. "Is...everything okay?"

With a swirl around them, she and Max were in the dark of the junkyard, the only light provided by the singular, illuminated moon above them.

"Chloe! Look out!" Max screamed, but it crumbled to into a strained whisper halfway through.

"What the fuck!?" Chloe whipped around, reaching for the gun at her back.

A gunshot rang out and her head jerked backward, her eyes immediately losing the flame of life. Max watched in horror as the girl fell back on top of Rachel's grave. That she made no sound of discomfort or pain as her head bounced violently off the ground seemed terribly unnatural. Max's eyes fell heavy and she collapsed in the dirt, muttering Chloe's name. She struggled to move, looking up and unable to conjure an appropriate expression as Jefferson gazed down at her coldly.

* * *

Chloe choked, coughing out a splatter of blood that had been collecting in her mouth and throat. She pressed her palms into the bed, pushing herself onto her knees. Breathing heavily, with the nauseous feeling of blood in her stomach, she swayed forward as the pain shocked through her head. Throwing her momentum backwards, she fell onto her rear and clasped a hand to her forehead, feverishly dragging it over where a bullet hole should be. The pain staggered through her once again and she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. Deciding to forgo fighting it, she fell onto her side and gripped herself as the chills clawed their way across her.

_God **dammit.** God dammit. Okay. You're alright, Chloe. It'll go away. Just...just tough it ou-AGH._

"Fuck!" she hissed, clutching her head as she rolled onto her back. "Stop! Stop!" Her head pulsed a few moments longer, then finally receded. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her.

_Right on fucking top of Rachel. Of course. God, I hope someone fucking stabs you to death in jail, you fucking monster. You deserve every fucking ounce of pain for what you did to all of us._

Clearing her throat once again, she sat back up and cringed at the sight of her pillowcase soaked in her blood.

_Great._

Touching her fingers beneath her noise, she rolled her eyes in disgust at the sticky sensation. She swung around and planted her feet on the ground, bouncing a few times to make sure her equilibrium was in tact, and stood up. Rather than go for tissues, she simply snatched her cigarettes and ashtray off of the desk and sat back down on the bed. Her eyes lulled back in a soothing pleasure as the nicotine swam through her mind.

_I'm pretty fucking over this. At least it's just...one more I don't have to deal with again. I guess all I have left are however many times the fucking train ripped me to pieces. That'll be fucking fun!_

She scowled at the red ring her lips left around the cigarette's filter and yanked a foot beneath her, leaning forward as she took another long drag.

_Two moons. Me and Max and Dad. Vortex Club party. School break-in. Max's parents after Dad was killed. Getting shot by Jefferson. What a great mixtape this batch was._

She closed her eyes in thought and rocked back and forth, still holding herself with one arm to fight off the residual feeling of chills.

_Prescott, Prescott, Prescott. Sean's a dick, that we know. Nathan is a homegrown, tortured dick. Also old news. Whole fucking family tree needs to be cut down. Ugh... how long can I procrastinate before texting Max? We're supposed to have a fun day today. Thanks, brain._

"Ugh, god dammit," she growled. She pulled on the cigarette and flared her nostril in irritation when she realized it had burnt down to its filter. She dropped it in the ashtray and picked up her phone.

**Chloe:** hey

**Chloe:** im fine but had another time dream

**Chloe:** finally saw jefferson kill me so hey one more down right?

**Chloe:** uhhh anyway... just call/text me when you wake up

**Chloe:** love u

"This rocks," she said numbly, flipping the phone end over end onto the blanket. She turned around and tore the pillowcase from the pillow, then made her way to the bathroom. As she yanked the door open, she froze, meeting David's eyes. He had one foot on the first step heading down, but retracted it quickly as he took her by the arm.

_Oh, fuck everything about this._

"Christ, Chloe, are you alright?" he asked, looking her over.

"Yeah, fine," she replied, offering a smile. He cringed and she realized her teeth must have been stained red. "Had a bloody nose in my sleep. Guess the second story is too high for me."

"That's a hell of a nosebleed," he said, glancing down at the pillowcase in her hand. "Does it feel like you whacked it somehow? Any pain?"

"Nope, just some kind of freaky thing," she said. "Just going to wash up and throw this in the washer." She dangled the pillowcase.

"I can do it while you get yourself cleaned up." He held his hand out and she reluctantly gave it over. He shifted his feet uncomfortably and then shook his head. "Seeing you covered in blood again..."

_Great, now I'm dragging him down._

"Decent look for me, right?" She twisted side to side with her arms out. "Tres a la mode, oui?" As she expected, he didn't laugh.

"No," he said grimly, "it's not."

"It's just a nosebleed, dude," she responded, smacking the back of her hand on his arm, "not like I'm on the brink, here."

"I know," he sighed, "just...surprising, is all."

_Oh yes, I know all about bloody surprises._

"Could be worse," she said dryly, ruminating in her thoughts, "better you finding me with a bloody nose as opposed to, oh, I don't know, a fucking bullet in the head or something. Now  _that's_ surpri-" She gasped as David swayed and brought a hand to his face, grimacing in pain.

_Shit! SHIT!_

"Are you okay!?" she asked, now grabbing a hold of him. "I'm so fucking sorry!"

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, blinking hard several times, "just got a bit lightheaded. I think the lack of sleep has me a little off." He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Wait, why are you sorry?"

_God, I am fucking up so hard right now._

"I...I don't know," she stammered, "I thought maybe the blood made you queasy or something?"

"No, I've had my fair share of experience with blood," he said, managing a chuckle. "Just a..." he smiled at her, "freaky thing."

"Right," she said, smiling back with a thankful dose of sincerity.

"Alright, get yourself washed up," he said, clapping a hand on her shoulder, "I might be gone before you're done in there, so I'll see you later, okay?"

"Definitely," she said, moving to the bathroom, "sorry you have to carry all my gross blood." He exhaled a laugh through his nose and looked over her warmly.

"Who do you think carried you out of the bathroom?" he asked.

* * *

Chloe was still in the shower, head angled up in the steaming water as it soothed her skin. She jolted when there was a knock on the bathroom door. She looked in its direction, though the curtain blocked her view, and narrowed her eyes.

_Who the fuck?_

"Uh...hello?" she called. Without a response, she heard the door open and quickly felt the gust of cool air sneak into the shower. She gripped the curtain and jutted her head out. Before she could summon anything aggressive as the intruder, she simply became confused. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I took the bus," Max said, bent over and out of breath, "you didn't answer the phone."

_Shit. I left it on the bed._

"Sorry," she replied, then couldn't help but smile, "you really hurried all the way here? That was pretty fast."

_Damn, what a little hero. Forgot she had a key._

"I can be pretty quick when I'm panicking about you," Max said, chuckling. "Are you alright?"

"Eh, sure," Chloe shrugged. "I mean, alright is kind of a loose term at this point."

"Did your nose bleed?" Max asked, staring at her intently.

"Yeah. Pretty bad, actually. I was sleeping on my stomach so it got everywhere," she said, looking somewhat embarrassed, "I probably need to wash the rest of my shit."

_It's like I pissed myself or something._

"I'm so sorry," Max said, leaning against the sink.

"Not your fault," Chloe shook her head. Max scrunched her nose. "Not... _your_ fault. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, alright," Max relented, clearly not entirely in agreement.

"Can you close the door?" Chloe asked. "It's...fucking cold in here."

"Oh, sorry." Max pushed it shut and then sighed. "Are you still okay with going shopping later or do you want to chill?"

"No, doing other shit helps take my mind off it," she responded. She snickered as Max wiped a few beads of sweat off her brow. "Come on," she said, elongating it as if it were a chore, "get in here."

"Really?" Max asked, though she'd finally become comfortable enough that it sounded more like 'are you sure?' rather than an exclamation of disbelief.

"Yeah," Chloe laughed, "David's gone and Mom's doing an early shift at work."

"Sure, okay," Max chuckled, pulling one shoe off, then the other. "I was actually running, you know. That's so against my style."

"That's sweet," Chloe said, "you've always got my back." She smiled and turned around, putting a hand behind her to point at her lower back.

"I'll get it," Max laughed, pulling her shirt over her head, "and yes, I do. I mean, I like, sprinted."

"Kinda wish I'd seen it," Chloe snirked, flicking her hand to shoot some water at Max. "Can you hurry before all the hot water goes away?"

"God, calm down." Max kicked a leg behind her, sending her underwear onto the floor, and stepped into the shower. She immediately took Chloe into her arms and kissed her. "Tell me about it?"

_Blehhh._

"Yeah," Chloe said, "uh, it was all over the place. Vortex Club party, your parents taking us to my mom after Dad's accident, when we broke into Blackhell..." she shrugged, "and when Jefferson shot me."

"Jesus," Max mumbled into Chloe's shoulder, "that's awful. I was so fucking scared."

"And he had the fucking balls to do it right over Rachel," she growled.

_That little detail really adds to the fucked up-ness._

"I know..." Max shook her head. "It's was terrible. All of it was. That's why I was so desperate when I was trying to convince you not to go into the party."

"Definitely puts that in perspective," Chloe said. She shielded Max's eyes and dipped the girl's head back to wet her hair. "But like I said in the text, at least that's just another one down. Just the...um, train left, right?"

Max was quiet for a moment, her eyes closed as Chloe scrubbed the shampoo through her hair, then she took a deep breath.

"Five," she said quietly. Chloe bit her lip winced.

_Oh, wow, alright._

"That's...a lot," she admitted, then slid her hands down Max's sides until they rested at her waist. "It's okay, though. I'll get through it. Hopefully it'll all be at once and then we can be done."

"That's so  _fucked up,_ though," Max whined, "you should not have to see that. And...and it's my fault! If I had just been better."

"Shhh, no, don't go there. We shouldn't have to do a lot of the shit we've done," Chloe said, bringing a hand below Max's chin and tilting her head up, "but we're strong. As long as you're willing to run to my house at the drop of a hat just to check on me, I'm positive I'll be okay." She bent forward and kissed her deeply.

"I hope so, babe." Max added a quick peck to each of Chloe's cheeks. Chloe smiled back at her, then suddenly grimaced and shrunk guiltily.

_David..._

"Uh, I did kind of fuck up," she said. Max leaned back and looked at her in anticipation.

"So, I ran into David and was just...talking without thinking, and I...um, brain zapped him." She let out a frustrated grumble as he rested her head against the wall.

"What?!" Max groaned and smacked a hand to her face. "Dammit. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's alright," Chloe said, "I just feel terrible. Not only did I fuck his head up but I feel like I let you down."

_Which really, really fucking hurts._

"You didn't let me down," Max corrected, "it was a mistake. God knows I've done it enough times. You weren't exactly in the best frame of mind."

"Still," she said, "it's a big mistake. I'm disappointed in myself."

"Chlo," Max stepped closer so that they were pressed against each other, "I'm nothing but proud of you for being this strong. You're allowed to slip up. We all make mistakes."

"Thanks..." Chloe buried her lips in Max's soaked hair, holding her gently. "So, I was thinking maybe before we meet up with everyone we could stop by Frank's?"

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," Max responded. She slowly pushed Chloe back until she was against the wall and kissed her again. "I feel like I could fall asleep in here, it's so warm." Before Chloe could say anything back, Max yelped and pressed hard against her. "Oh god, oh god, no it's not! No it's not!"

_Told you it'd be running out soon._

* * *

"We have a little time to kill before we go massacre the mall," Chloe said, taking a large step toward the door of the RV. "Haven't seen Frank since we've been back, so...y'know. Let's get our rods out and fish for some details."

_I really am obnoxiously curious to actually hear his take on the Kate meeting._

"Okay, even you have to realize how that sounds," Max chuckled, taking her spot next to her. Whether it was an intentional or subconscious act, Chloe did notice how she'd been extra touchy and sure to be as close to her as possible. She'd gotten like this with every nosebleed so far and it was both comforting and...kind of a bummer to see how concerned she was. Chloe smirked at her comment.

_I do now. Yikes. Okay, double down._

"Yep, our big, long rods," she said with a smile, then slammed her palm against the door a few times. "Open up, it's the five-O!" The door swung open and Frank regarded her with a dry look.

"You know," he said, shaking his index finger as if summoning a point, "for the first time in god knows how long, that doesn't even make me panic." Chloe jutted out her chin in a show of being impressed. "I know, right?" He turned his back to them and lazily waved over his shoulder. "Come on in, guys."

Max followed behind Chloe, but came to a stop and searched around her.

"Pompidou's being quiet today," she said with a little smile, "where is he?"

"Sleeping in the backroom. I'm sure he'll realize you're here any-" He hung his head as he was interrupted by a single, sharp woof and the scramble of paws on the carpet.

"Hey you!" Max dropped to her knees and caught Pompidou in her arms. "How is my favorite puppy?"

_I don't know what the fuck this feeling that I get is when she gets all doting, but I don't think I want it._

"You can actually tell he's happier now that he has so many people that want to pet him," Frank said, gesturing to Max and Pompidou. He crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the driver's seat, turning his attention to Chloe. "So, what's up?"

"Not a lot," Chloe replied, casually opening one of the doors to his pantry and snagging a bag of chips, "we have to go shopping for prom shit later. Figured we'd swing by first."

"Really?" he asked, snorting in mild disbelief. "Chloe Price, how you've changed."

_Watch it._

"Yeeeah well," she said, hopping up onto the counter and digging into the bag, "don't be surprised if I deck whatever the fuck I pick out in studs or chains or some shit."

"I'm picturing Joan Jett and I'm very okay with it," Max laughed, finally standing up after playing with Pompidou. The dog made a quick circle, then laid down at her feet.

"She does have a black heart, so it checks out," Frank added, yhen he shook his head. "Jesus, I don't even feel good about those jokes anymore."

"I'm insult bulletproof, mothafucka," Chloe taunted, holding her arms out as if daring him.

"Pain in my ass, more like," he said, reaching to her for the chips. "How was the trip to Seattle?"

_I miss my other pareeeeents._

"It was good!" Max responded, "the weather behaved for a surprising amount of the time and it was just kind of nice to have a change of pace."

"I bet," he said, "I could use a brief stint out of here too. Just for a change of scenery."

"Ooh!" Chloe grinned at Max, then turned back to him. "Maaaybe a little RV road trip this summer?" He thought it over, then gave a shrug that seemed to be leaning on the 'yes' side of things.

_Hell yes!_

"Maybe, yeah." He crouched down and peered through the window, watching as a couple walked toward the entrance of the diner. "I think they come in for dinner sometimes," he said.

"They flip-flop," Chloe said, "I get them for lunch sometimes." She yawned and rubbed her face roughly, experiencing a wave of awareness regarding her poor rest. "Anyway, we wanted to get some more details on the Kate thing."

"Ah, right, right," he replied, plopping down into the seat and resting his elbow on the steering wheel. "I gotta tell ya, you have no idea how scared I was when I opened that door. And then when she told me she knew..." He puffed out his lips. "I fucking started crying. Right there in front of her and that Warren kid. I really felt like I was on trial for whether or not I'd be going to heaven or hell."

"I'm sure..." Max said quietly, going over to him and placing a hand on his arm. "We had  _no_ idea that was going to happen. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said, "I just...fuck, I felt like a scared little kid again. I didn't even know she knew."

"Yeah...  _That_ we should have told you," Max said.

"How did she find out?" he asked. "Did you guys tell her or what?"

_Oh, left that part out, Kate? Convenient..._

"We, uh..." Chloe glanced at the ceiling and bared her teeth awkwardly, "we had a little run in with Satan." She was taken aback by Frank's quick reaction, as if no further elaboration was needed.

_Hell of a reputation you've built yourself there, Sean. Pun...intended?_

"Why am I not fucking surprised?" Frank bent forward and massaged her temples. "He's like a fucking bad penny. Always turning up just to fuck things up."

"At least a penny has some value," Chloe snirked.

"Got me there," Frank replied. He sat back up and sighed. "What did he say, exactly?"

"It wasn't...flattering," Max admitted. Her expression turned angry. "It seemed like he was just...enjoying it  _so_ much. Like it gave him genuine pleasure to cause that damage."

"I assume it did," Chloe said. "Dude is a psycho. He was proud as a fucking peacock that he made Kate upset."

"That pisses me off," Frank growled, "as if she hasn't gone through enough. I wish I was there, I would've finished what I started."

_Me too, dude._

"I will forever cherish the image of you caving his face in with your knee," Chloe said dreamily, smiling widely.

"Kate was pretty mad at us," Max said. "Understandably, of course, but it just feels...unearned since he was the one who caused it."

"You're all good now, though?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, all good," Chloe confirmed. "So what happened when she visited?"

"Oh, right," he said. "She just explained that she knew what happened and that she wasn't angry with me. That she...forgave me." He huffed. "She spent more time talking about how sorry she was about Rachel than anything else. And how she was proud of me for trying to turn things around."

"Yeah, that sounds like Kate," Max snickered with a roll of her eyes. "The verdict's still out on whether or not she's human."

_She's a pumpkin, duh._

"Anyway, we got most of that sorted out right away," Frank said, "then she and Warren just hung out for a while." He reached behind the seat and picked up a bottle of beer from the floor. "Which, by the way, had no idea who the hell he was. He's one of yours?"

_Like they're our pets...heh._

"He is," Chloe nodded. "He's kind of like our..." she hesitated, thinking it over, "wildcard. You got me, Max, Kate and Victoria but he's got his own place there. He's our dude."

"Seems like a good kid," Frank said, then chuckled. "It's refreshing to meet another Blackwell student that I didn't somehow fuck up. Like...finding a flower in a desert or something."

_That was oddly poetic._

"I think we're all just flowers in the desert," Max laughed. "It's our common factor."

"I can't argue that," he said. He patted his pockets, then when he didn't find what he was looking for, he situated the tip of the bottle between his molars and pried off the cap.

_Jesus Christ, Jaws._

"Oh dude," Chloe said, looking on in horror, "you're going to break your teeth."

"I've been doing that for years," he said with a smile, "don't worry. You have to be resourceful."

"So, everything went over okay, then?" Max asked, pulling the conversation back on track.

"Yeah, I think it did," he said. "She updated me on the home situation, too. And I told her to visit me any time she wanted."

"That's great," Chloe replied, then she shook her head. "I can't even keep track of all this shit anymore. I need a breadcrumb trail or something."

_So many people with...things going on._

"Tell me about it," Max giggled, "I ran into Juliet this morning and she was going on and on about getting a date for the dance. Add it to the pile."

"Oh, joy," Chloe said sarcastically. She took her phone out and checked the time. "Speaking of her, we should probably get heading to the mall. Next town over, you never know what obstacles you'll face." She stepped toward Frank and held her fist out, receiving a gentle bop of his in return. "We'll catch you later?"

"Sounds good," he said, tipping the bottle to his lips.

* * *

"This is kind of a chintzy mall, even by our hick-ass standards," Chloe said, looking around her as she and Max walked. It  _was_  rather dilapidated, with the tiles in the floor uneven and mismatched in color. Several of the overhead lights were either dimmed or burnt out completely.

_Are we sure this place is actually open?_

"I'm not a hick," Max protested, pushing Chloe by the shoulder, "I have refined, Seattle taste."

"You can't escape where you come from, Max," Chloe chuckled. "The bird cannot spite its egg." Max came to a stop and regarded her with amusement.

"What the hell kind of pseudo-philosophy is that!?" she laughed. Chloe shrugged as if admitting it wasn't her best work. Max turned back around and pointed. "Ooh, there's Dana!"

"So nice of you to join us," she said as they got near.

"Pfft, what? You're the only one here." Chloe gestured to the empty space around her.

"Everyone else is off browsing. I elected to wait here for you guys," Dana replied. She slung one arm around Max and the other around Chloe. "So," she said with a bit of excitement, "are you girls ready to pick out your luxurious attire?"

_Meh._

"Uh, no," Max snickered, "I own like, one dress and it's built for a funeral. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not one for the...glitz and glamor look."

_Yeah, I bet. As soon as you put one on, it'll look just as perfect as everything else. I...might even be a little jealous of that._

"Oh, come on," Chloe said, "we agreed that we'd do it just because we thought the other would look cute as fuck. And if I'm walking down this path, you sure as hell are coming with me."

"It's like pulling teeth with you two," Dana chuckled, hanging her head as the three of them moseyed through the mall. "It's just one night. It'll be fun to have a change of pace, right?"

"You know, taking a bath with a toaster would also be a change of pace," Chloe responded with a smirk, "doesn't make it good." She shrugged, moving Dana's arm as well. "Whatever, I'm letting you lead me by the hand here. As long as I can wear Misfits makeup or something."

"Oh, that'd be cool," Max said with sincerity, leaning forward to get a look at Chloe.

"As...tempting as it is to be able to look back at pictures from a special night when I'm ninety years old and see you looking like a clown, I'm going to have to say no," Dana said, jostling Chloe with her arm.

_Okay, maybe Misfits aren't her thing._

"KISS, then?" Chloe asked. "I have the tongue for it."

"She does," Max quickly added. Dana stopped and sighed.

"I love you guys," she said, snickering as she brought her arms down to her sides, "never change." She nodded at a store, then headed inside. Chloe followed behind her, blinking at the sudden escalation in brightness.

_Welp, I'm blind. That's unfortunate._

"Well, well," Courtney said, jovially skipping over to Max and Chloe, "my models have arrived!"

"I don't..." Max narrowed her eyes, "I don't think I agreed to that."

"Chloe did," she replied matter-of-factly, "and you two are a package deal."

"What? Since when?" Max laughed, turning to look at Chloe. She thought for a moment, then puffed out her bottom lip. "Damn, we are..."

_You're handcuffed to me, there is no escape._

"Two for one discount," Courtney said, cheerily clapping her hands together. She took Max by the wrist and strutted further into the store. Chloe gave a quick wave to Juliet, then went after them.

"This place seems too nice to survive in this mall," she said, dragging her finger along various clothing. "We passed like three different stores that are out of business."

"And...I think a homeless person," Max added with a frown.

"Specialty shop," Courtney said, "they find ways to continue on. This is the only decent boutique within a three hour drive. Supply and demand." She spun around and held her hands out. "Okay, so! It'd be pretty hard to do here but are you guys trying to do the 'my girlfriend doesn't know what I'm wearing' thing so it's like a surprise?"

"Is that real?" Chloe asked. "That's dumb, so no."

_That sounds like it could go so wrong so fast._

"Alrighty," Courtney said, accepting her answer without pause. "Either way, we'll do one at a time. It's easier." She eagerly took hold of Max again. "You're first!" As she was dragged away, Max looked back with harmless fear in her eyes.

"If I'm not back in ten, call the cops, okay!?" she said, shouting but keeping it at a reasonable volume. In response, Chloe simply waved smugly. She patted her thighs and looked around again, feeling very out of place.

_It's so...colorful in here._

With a shrug to herself, she wandered down one of the aisles, stopping when she stumbled upon Victoria looking a dress up and down.

_This place is set up so weird. How didn't I just see everyone immediately? Everyone's hiding..._

"Hey Vic," she said, "how's the hunt?"

"Oh, hey," she responded, not taking her eyes off of the dress. "Frustrating. I want to get like...something nice."

"That seems to be the general objective, no?" Chloe snickered.

"Well, okay, yeah," Victoria admitted, turning to her. "I've been dreaming of this stupid dance since like, freshman year. I need to nail it."

"Jeez, okay," Chloe smiled, holding her hands up. She surveyed some of the dresses on the other side of the aisle. "A lot of these are too...floofy. A little too Cinderella, you know?"

_Sorry, but I will not be bursting into song._

"Yeah, I can see that," she said, then smirked. "You know the actual fairy tale, right? Ashputtle?"

"Uh uh." Chloe shook her head. She took the fabric of one of the dresses and rolled it between her fingers.

_Mm, soft._

"It's up your alley," Victoria chuckled. "So, it's vaguely the same, but she had to sleep in ashes by the fireplace or some crazy shit." Chloe's eyebrows raised as her interest grew. "Anyway, same stuff with the mean stepsisters and all that, but when the prince came back to see whose foot fit the slipper, the stepsisters hacked off parts of their feet so that they'd fit."

"Woah, holy shit," Chloe laughed.

"I know! And then after he finds Ashputtle...Cinderella, whatever," Victoria flailed her hand, "they have their wedding and the stepsisters show up trying to be shallow bitches. And these fucking...birds peck out their eyes!" Victoria grew an opened mouth smile as she awaited Chloe's response.

_Damn, that's hardcore._

"That's sick," she giggled, "I never knew that." She looked the poofy dress up and down again. "Respect."

"I was pretty obsessed with fairy tales when I was little," Victoria said. "My parents accidentally gave me the 'real,' original versions. They're all pretty fucked up like that."

"I wanna read them now," Chloe said. She pointed at her feet. "Do you think I can wear boots or something? I'm not really in the market for chopping off toes or anything."

_Seems kind of drastic._

"Meh," Victoria shrugged, "it's not like it's a black tie affair. I'm sure whatever will work. Wear a cocktail dress or something. Not like they're going to turn you away."

"Hmm..." Chloe followed behind her as she moved to a new display. She playfully prodded her in the back. "Are you going to get all sexy'd up for Kate?"

"I don't really need to get sexy'd up," she responded, "I'm already there."

_Sigh. Sigh. Sighsighsigh._

"Oh, of course," Chloe laughed, "forgive me."

"But yes," Victoria put her hands on her hips, looking much less sure of herself, "I would like to be pleasing to her eye."

_Pleasing to her eye? You're not a photograph._

"You talk like a real nerd sometimes, you do know that?" Chloe tapped a finger to her nose, accompanied by a silly 'bapo!'

"No more bapo," she scolded, "and whatever." She gestured across the store. "Katie's in one of the dressing rooms right now. She picked one out so fast."

"Probably all excited," Chloe said. She squinted, then leaned in toward Victoria and whispered. "Did you chat with her yet?" She stared at Victoria's wide eyes for a beat, then grabbed her by the head. "Are you serious!?"

_What in the hell are you doing!?_

"I know, I know!" she said in a hushed tone. "I'm doing it tonight. I have a plan."

"You better, dude." Chloe said it with an extra bit of seriousness. "You _have_ to."

"I will," Victoria promised. She strained her neck to peer over Chloe's shoulder, her brow crinkling. The sound of quickened footsteps hurried up behind Chloe, and Max clutched her by the shoulders.

"She's insane," she whispered, her eyes crazed, "Chloe, she's insane."

"Max, where did you go?" Courtney called from the other side of the store. Max ducked down and put a finger to her lips.

_You can be so dramatic sometimes._

"Why is she insane?" Chloe asked with a broad smile.

"She's talking about like..I don't even know, it's all gibberish!" Max broke character for a moment to giggle, then resumed her look of horror.

"You two are like children," Victoria scoffed, her head drooping to the side.

_Yeah, but we're probably having the most fun in this entire fucking building._

"Maybe, we can like..." Chloe moved her hands as she spoke, "just go naked or something?"

"NOPE!" Dana's voice called out, her head peeking over a half-wall nearby. "Nope, nope, nope. I'm  _watching_  you, Chloe."

_WOAH that was freaky._

"I was just JOKING!" Chloe shouted, "only Max is allowed to see me naked!" The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them drew her attention. A middle-aged woman looked at them, her hands wringing together and slightly flushed, presumably from what she'd just heard.

"Um," she said, conjuring an okay attempt at a customer service smile, "do you... Can I help you with anything?"

_Really need to get a hold on my volume._

"Yeah...sure," Chloe said, laughing quietly, "got anything kind of...cool in blue?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Gettin' all those pieces in place so we can finally tackle Prom next chapter! Not a ton to say, other than the usual of I hope you enjoyed and thank you so much for reading!


	63. Last Waltz

"Okay, Max..." she whispered to herself, smoothing over the front of her dress. She'd decided on a rosy, pink dress she'd gravitated to at the boutique and was still  _mostly_ pleased with her choice, though she hadn't realized just how pervasive the fear of it slipping down would become. If only Courtney had made it a point to at least  _mention_ that would be a caveat that came with having a strapless dress, she'd feel much more prepared. It flared from her waist, but just enough to provide a modest 'whoosh' when she turned. She did find its length to be a benefit, since she'd elected to wear her sneakers rather than heels. She'd drawn a pretty hard line in the sand on that issue.

Though she wasn't entirely sure how it ended up the way it did, she spent the day getting ready with the rest of the Blackwell girls while Chloe stayed home. Despite her insistence that everything was fine, it did feel odd that she was missing. The girlfriend-shaped void in the group of friends was very, very noticeable. She looked down at the plastic container in her hand and gave it a little shake, then she took a deep breath.

_Why am I so nervous? It's just Chloe. Pfft..."just."_

Rather than simply entering the house as she would normally do, she knocked on the door. The knocks were quiet and hesitant at first, but with a flair of conviction, she managed to bring them to a volume that could actually be heard by people inside the home. Though she knew it probably wasn't long at all, it  _really_ felt like it was taking an eternity for someone to answer. Just as she was beginning to contemplate barging in and screaming, the door finally opened and Joyce expelled a sickeningly sweet gasp of adoration.

"Oh, honey, you look beautiful!" she said, drawing a hand to her chest. She smiled wide and twirled her finger in what seemed to be some sort of instruction. When Max only looked back with an eyebrow raised, Joyce laughed quietly. "Give a spin," she insisted.

_Ohhhh._

"Ah, sorry," Max chuckled, holding her arms out at her sides and rotating in a full circle. "Do I, uh, look okay?"

"Yes, of course!" Joyce shook her head at the silliness of her question. "Come in, come in," she said, taking Max by the hand and retreating backwards into the house. She turned to the staircase and smiled, bringing one hand to her mouth. "Chloe, your date is here!" She looked back to Max and winked. "I've always wanted to say that."

_Joyce is really loving this. I guess it's probably a built-in mom feature._

"Just a sec!" Chloe called back, and the sound of scrambling movement could be heard coming from her room along with a distant hum of upbeat guitars.

"The flowers are lovely," Joyce said, nodding at the plastic container.

"I hope so," Max replied, smiling nervously, "I wasn't sure if it was cheesy or if she'd like them or...I don't know."

"Oh, she'll love them," Joyce swiped her hand to wave away her concern, then turned to the kitchen, "did you want something to drink?"

"Sure," Max said, following her, "I think I have anxious, dry mouth." She snickered. "Couldn't lick a stamp to save my life, I don't think."

_Not that I'd want to. Those things taste nasty._

"Don't be nervous!" Joyce pulled open the fridge and peered inside. "Okay... Water, iced tea, soda...?"

"Tequila?" Max asked, causing Joyce to burst into laughter. "No, I'll have some iced tea, thanks." There was a movement in the corner of her eye and she turned to find David in the doorway. Her lips drew into a tight line as she raised her hand. "Hi."

"Wow," he said, planting his elbows on the counter and leaning forward, "you look great. Love the hair."

_I get what they mean, but I can't help but feel like that means I don't any other time._

"Thanks, David," she responded, "it's definitely...a step out of my comfort zone." She took the glass of tea from Joyce and sipped it cautiously, afraid she might spill it. "I've never been to a country club before. Is it going to be weird? Cowboys?"

"You'll be fine," he chuckled, "I know the place. It's nice! One of my cop buddies has a membership there."

"There's like, dinner first and then dancing?" She flung the small bag she'd consolidated 'essentials' into onto the counter and pulled out her phone. "I got this email that says...hang on," she tapped on the screen several times, "okay, yeah. We either have a choice between chicken breast, prime rib or some kind of vegetable thing..." She pursed her lips. "Which is a little disappointing because I've been craving tacos."

_For like three days now. It's so sad._

"I'm sure you can go to Taco Bell afterward," Joyce laughed. Max shook her head as she set the phone down.

"Nope, I promised Chloe we'd go to McDonald's because she's stupid," she replied. As if on cue, the sound of footsteps started to rumble from above them.

"So, I keep thinking about what kind of shitty music they're going to play," Chloe said, gliding her hand along the railing as she stomped down the steps. "I really hope there's at least  _some_ good tu..."

Her voice retreated back into her throat with a tiny squeak as she finally looked up and saw Max. Her jaw hung open in a cartoonish way, just waiting for her to manually pick it up with her hand. It was sort of hard to focus on her reaction, though, since Max was having a similar experience.

True to her word, Chloe forwent much of the frills that Max had seen the other girls utilize earlier that day. Her dress was a simple, azure color that stopped at her shins, but the way it fit her made it impossible for Max to actually latch on to a complete thought. Her hair was tied up, with a loose strand hanging by her temple. Perhaps most shocking of all was that she was actually wearing eyeliner, and the dark outline made the blue of her eyes seem exceptionally vibrant. Really, the only thing about her appearance that didn't make Max's knees feel like they might dissolve at any moment was the fact that she was wearing her trusty, worn boots. Not that it wasn't still flattering, but their presence provided a warm sense of familiarity.

_O-okay...wow..._

"Do you think they'll ever talk?" Joyce asked, leaning toward David. He could only shrug, smiling at the display before him.

"You, uh," Chloe said, smacking her lips to regain the saliva necessary for speaking, "you redid your hair." She clutched her elbow that way Max had always done.

"Yeah," Max replied, glancing down bashfully, "last night." That show of dumbfounded surprise had really made all of the frantic washing and precautions to keep it from turning into a mess feel worth it. Maybe Courtney had dropped the ball on the strapless dress warning, but she had certainly made up for it with this. Max showed a toothy grin. " _You're_ wearing more makeup than I am."

"Ah...yeah, I thought it might look...cool?" Chloe blushed in return, tucking the strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, does it?"

_Cool's not the first word that comes to mind, but it's in the discussion._

"Yes, absolutely," Max said. She thought for a moment, then giggled as she pulled her dress up a bit. "I'm wearing my shoes too."

"Heh, right? I don't even understand how we're supposed to dance in those pointy...knife feet," she responded, chuckling with still pink cheeks. Max nodded in agreement, then brought the container in front of her. She tapped her fingers against it anxiously.

"I got you this," she mumbled, slowly approaching Chloe and holding it out for her, "they're blue."

_She can see that, dumbass._

"Aw, I love them!" Chloe cooed, cracking open the plastic. She removed the corsage and looked it over, then began slipping it over her hand.

"Max is supposed to do it," David interjected, his fist smushed against his cheek as he watched.

"Oh, right," Max said, taking it back from her and stretching the band into a wide circle. Chloe drew her fingers together and held her hand out, and Max slid it onto her wrist. The girl raised her hand and examined it, beaming.

"I feel so...dated right now," she said, "like, you're dating me really hard."

_Don't make it sound like carbon dating, Chloe._

"So, that's...good, right?" Max asked, lightly touching a finger to one of the flowers.

"Hella good," Chloe grinned, taking her into one of the most wonderful hugs Max had ever experienced. She glanced at Joyce and David with narrowed eyes, seeming to contemplate something, then exhaled a laugh through her nose. Unapologetically, she cupped Max's cheek and kissed her passionately, projecting a desperate and cloying desire through the girl's body. When she broke the kiss, she rested her forehead against Max's and smiled again. "You look so fucking beautiful," she whispered.

_Okay, from her it sounds...really, really good._

"Like you're one to talk," Max replied with a smirk, "who would've thought Chloe Price would rock a dress so well?"

"Yeah?" she asked, though it was more of a flirtatious taunt than an actual question.

"Yeah," Max confirmed, running her finger along one of the straps of her dress.

"Alright, girls," Joyce interrupted, clapping her hands to snag their attention. Giddily, she went over to the dining room table and picked up a camera. "Time for pictures!"

"Oh, Mom, seriously?" Chloe groaned, her head rolling back.

"Yes, seriously!" Joyce scolded. "You are out of your ever-lovin' mind if you don't think I'm taking pictures of you two! Plus, I promised Vanessa I'd take some for her as well." Joyce looked to Max as if threatening to tell on her if she didn't comply.

_Well, it's nice to see that they're talking more frequently._

"I guess we should've seen this coming," Max said. She frowned and glanced back at her bag on the counter. "I want some too. I couldn't bring my camera." Chloe looked down at her and her expression softened from bratty to loving.

"Alright baby," she said, "we'll get you some pics." She turned her attention to her mother. "Let's get our runway on." Joyce clutched her camera with both hands and trembled in excitement, then sped toward the back door.

"Let's do it outside in the sun," she said, waving for David to follow her. Once they'd both gone outside, the girls were given a brief moment alone.

"Seriously," Chloe whispered, taking Max's hand, "I'm on the verge of drooling here." She brought her other hand to Max's head, combing her fingers through the pink streak in her hair. "God damn..."

"Stop!" Max begged, burying her face in Chloe's chest, "I can't stop blushing and that'll make the pictures look bad!"

"I can't help it!" Chloe snickered, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"Come on," Max said, rolling her eyes and leading Chloe outside, "we need to do this..."

"Okay, okay, stand there!" Joyce pointed to the center of the yard. Max and Chloe stood next to each other and looked back at Joyce, who moved her hands together like she was crushing something.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do," Chloe laughed quietly, speaking low enough for only Max to hear. She placed her hands on Max's waist and turned her so that her back was against her. "This, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Max replied, then gave a thumbs up to Joyce. At the gesture, she brought the camera up and began snapping photos with a maniacal energy.

"Now one the other way," she said, flailing her hand, and Max and Chloe switched positions.

"I'm shorter than you," Max whispered, smiling when she felt a convulsion of laughter in her arms.

_I'm just staring at the back of her neck._

"I like when you're big spoon, though," she responded, ever so subtly wiggling her ass against Max.

"Oh man, now I want cereal," Max said with a bit of a whine. "Hey, are you going to get chicken or prime rib?"

"I dunno," Chloe said, moving away at Joyce's direction and standing shoulder to shoulder with Max. She snaked her arm around the girl's waist. "Figured we'd get the opposite of each other to share?"

"That sounds good," Max agreed.

"Okay, now one with you," Joyce said, tapping David on the shoulder. At his hesitation, Chloe pointed at the ground in front of her with a stern look.

"Get over here," she snarled playfully, "you need to be in the picture with your sorta-daughter." She glanced at Max. "And sorta-sorta-daughter!" He relented with a nod, then took a spot between the girls and put his arms around each of them. After she took the photo, Joyce looked at the screen of the camera and smiled softly.

"That's a smile and a half if ever I've seen one," she said, giving David a knowing look. She held the camera out as he came back over to her, offering it to him. Then, she hurried over to the girls and hugged them. "Lord, I am just so happy right now."

"I can tell," Chloe laughed, then she shrugged, "yeah, me too." At the whir of the camera, she went back over to David and analyzed the photo, giving him a satisfactory pat on the arm. Regaining control of the camera, she turned back to the girls and looked up into the sky.

"Okay,  _now_ we need some of the corsage and..." she scanned around her, "some over by that spot, too. Maybe one with the swing set? Or, ooh! With the board from when you were younger!" She tapped her index finger to her chin. "And solo photos too!"

"Fuuuuck," Chloe said quietly, "we aren't ever going to make it." She shook her head and snickered as she moved to the new spot, devilishly turning to the camera and holding out two middle fingers. "Alrighty, I'm ready for my close-up."

* * *

"Get a load of this place, man," Chloe said, pulling into the parking lot of the country club. "I think I'm actually a little embarrassed about my truck. Old girl is...not meshing with the aesthetic." She reached up and tugged at an exposed tuft of fluffy material in the roof.

_I like our beat up truck. It has personality._

"Don't even worry," Max giggled, "it's all part of our charm." She took a deep breath as the truck rolled to a stop. "You ready to do this? I'm sure there'll be more photos to take and all kinds of socializing and compliments."

"Yeah," Chloe smiled, "I'm ready..." She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, then turned in her seat so she was facing Max. "Hey, uh, I realize now that I kind of dropped the ball on the corsage thing. I don't know how I did that. I'm usually on top of that sort of thing."

"Babe, it's okay," Max said, shaking her head, "I don't mind at all. Seriously."

"Eh," Chloe shrugged, "still kind of irritated with myself. But..." she reached across the cab and popped open the glove compartment, retrieving a small, velvet box, and handed it to Max, "I, um, did get you something, though? Why I was MIA earlier."

_This is definitely jewelry and she's upset about fucking flowers._

"You're such a...I don't even know." Max flipped it open and smiled wide. "Holy shit, this is beautiful!" Carefully looping her finger under the chain, she lifted it out of the box. It was a silver bracelet, glistening as the light caught it.

"I thought it was nice," Chloe said quietly, then she snickered and flicked the bullet hanging against Max's chest. "Our jewelry game is a little morbid, I figured, so..." She was unable to complete the sentence as Max lurched across the seat, silencing her with a kiss.

"I love it," she said, draping it over her wrist and holding it out so Chloe could do the clasp. "It's so pretty. I hope it wasn't expensive..."

"Oh shut up," Chloe muttered, pushing Max's hand back to her forcefully, "I'll get you whatever the fuck I feel like, alright?"

_Jeez, rawr, okay._

"You're so affectionately rude," Max laughed, shaking her wrist and watching the chain shift around.

"Well, now that that's out of the way," Chloe said, pleased with herself that her gift was well received, "I guess we should start heading in there?"

"Definitely." Max swung open the door and slid out of the truck, once again smoothing over her dress. Chloe appeared next to her and slung an arm around her. They looked at the building, with Chloe making an audible 'hmm.'

It was very large, painted white with what seemed to be unreasonable cleanliness, devoid of any dirt of mars that would compromise its purity. There were many windows that reached from the ceiling to the floor, with some broken up in a grid. Even the outside was extravagant, as a huge fountain acted as a centerpiece to the entrance. Two stone swans sat on top, facing opposite directions as the spat streams of water. Stairs wrapped around either side of the fountain, curving to meet the granite strip of paving that marked the 'threshold' to the Prom-Land.

_Dang._

"I sometimes forget Blackwell is like...a nice school," Max said, "you'd never know it just from being there. There's so much toilet paper everywhere."

"Yeah, I feel you," Chloe responded. "When I think about how I used to go there, it really makes the whole 'elite' school thing seem like a bit of a joke." She clicked her tongue in thought, then shrugged, looking tot he side. She grew a small smile. "Yo, check it," she pointed to two girls at the other end of the parking lot, "Dana and Juliet."

"Oh, let's go say hi," Max said, setting off toward them. As they walked, she took note of the other students making their way up to the building, and it struck her again just how many of them she didn't actually know. Her world had become so concise and insulated with an intimate group of friends that it was almost jarring whenever she was reminded how much existed outside of it. As they got closer to the girls, Dana noticed them and opened her mouth in awe.

"Holy shit," she said, prancing toward them, making the act of maneuvering in heels seem as easy as breathing. "I mean, I already knew Max looked beautiful, but seeing you two together is a fucking dream!" She kissed her fingers, then made a 'muah!' sound. She hugged both of them tightly, then backed away and smirked. "I know I was a hardass about getting dressed up, but I didn't say anything about making me look bad in comparison, you guys."

_Ooh, someone's in a flattering mood._

"Oh fuck off," Chloe laughed, pushing her by the shoulder, "you look great too!" And it was true, she really wasn't a slouch herself, wearing a long, red dress that accentuated her curves perfectly. Though Max wouldn't  _agree,_ given that Chloe existed, she did have another sense of an 'oh wow' realization that she'd become so close with the girl who was probably universally considered prettiest in the school.

"Hubba hubba," Juliet chuckled, coming to stand beside Dana, donning a hot pink dress that was a similar length to Chloe's, "it's times like these I wish I were gay." She sighed wistfully.

_There's a fountain up there if you have any change._

"Not like we'd be available," Chloe replied, wrangling Max closer to her for effect. Max looked around for a moment curiously.

"Where are the guys?" she asked, and Dana immediately pointed her thumb over her shoulder. She wasn't sure how she'd managed to miss the swirling cloud of smoke coating the windows of a nearby car. With perfect timing, the door flung open and Justin stepped out. Trevor appeared just a second later, and the smoke escaped into the air.

_Yeah, I guess that makes sense._

"Yo, dickwads," Chloe called to them, "you guys look sharp as hell!" Justin turned to her and smiled lazily.

"Thanks," he said, the word overtaken but a quick burst of coughs, "I miss my hat."

" _I_  miss being able to move," Trevor added, holding his arms out and waddling toward them the same way a penguin would. "I feel like I'm in a straightjacket."

"Whining aside, they do clean up well," Dana said, planting her hands on her hips and looking them up and down proudly. "I think Juliet's even a little excited that Justin's her date." Juliet nudged her with a roll of her eyes.

"Word?" he asked, nodding to her, "thanks, that's cool."

"Sure," she said back, smiling as she shook her head.

_Justin, you're the best._

"Right, well, are you guys heading in there?" Chloe asked, gesturing to the building.

"Not just yet, no," Juliet said, "but you go in and we'll hook up later."

"It's a plan," Max responded, swinging herself on her heel so she was facing the steps, "onward, my love."

"Later," Chloe said, giving a lazy wave as she and Max left.

Arm in arm, they climbed the curved, stone steps and Chloe stopped once they reached the top. She went over to the fountain and peered down into the water, then pointed at one of the swans.

"That guy's beak is a little busted," she said.

"Poor thing," Max feigned a pout, "probably got a little too sassy with the other one."

"Yeah," Chloe laughed, aiming her attention back to the door, "I can totally relate."

* * *

"This is such a bizarre set up," Max said, scanning the room. In the very center was a large, slightly elevated platform that acted as the dance floor. At the far end of it, opposite the entrance, was an extravagant DJ setup, framed on either side by gigantic speakers. Surrounding the dance floor were many tables adorned with elegant tablecloths, the centerpiece consisting of three lit candles. "That juxtaposition, though. Also..." she quirked an eyebrow in amusement, "they're giving us a lot of faith with the open flames."

_Surely that has to have gone wrong in the past?_

"Hey!" came a voice from behind them, though its source was quickly between them with hands planted on each of their backs. "Hey, hey, hey!" Courtney said as they faced her. She smiled wide at Chloe, then held her hands out over the Max in display. "So, how about the hair?"

"Very sexy," Chloe nodded, "you're a wizard."

"Yes!" Courtney pumped her fist, "I knew it'd be a hit." Her eyes grew big. "Oh, by the way, I think we're sitting together!"

_Oh, I forgot there were assigned seats. That's good, at least it's someone!_

"Oh nice," Chloe chuckled, "where's our digs?" Courtney gestured for them to follow, and took off across the room.

Max looked over the DJ booth as they passed it, feeling quite impressed and slightly jealous at such a monstrous setup. She glanced up at the lights, and though they were currently off, she could tell they had colored bulbs. A sphere with multicolored lights sat on one of the speakers, which would eventually spin slowly, casting acute dots of color around the room. Once they got to the table, Max read over the other name tags.

_Ah! Warren and Brooke! And Taylor! That's so awesome. Hmm, no idea who Collin or Miranda are, though. I hope they don't feel left out._

"This is a good group!" Max said. "At least most of us are familiar with each others eating habits." She smiled at Courtney knowingly. "Taylor and her lip smacking."

"Oh, I know," she replied with exasperation, "I've even told her about that." She flicked Taylor's name tag onto its face and snorted. "Anyway, dinner should be fun and then we dance the night away!" She wiggled her shoulders, then went onto her tiptoes, looking over Max and Chloe. "Ooh, gotta go say hi! I'll see you guys in a little!"

_Sometimes she has so much energy that I get tired just watching her._

"Well, it's kind of nice so far, right?" Max asked, leaning into Chloe. Her eyes drifted across the room and she jolted upright, taking Chloe's hand. "Come on, I want you to meet someone!"

"I've met enough of your people," Chloe teased, stumbling into movement. They approached a woman who didn't seem to be paying a ton of attention, taking a sip out of a solo cup.

_No matter how fancy you are, those red cups persist._

"Maddie!" Max called, causing the woman to spin around. She instantly grew a big smile.

"Max!" she exclaimed, "wow, you look wonderful!"

"Thanks," Max replied shyly. She raised her hand, which was holding Chloe's. "This is my girlfriend Chloe!" She nodded from Chloe to Ms. Waters. "This is Maddie, my new photography teacher."

"Nice to finally meet you," Ms. Waters said, taking Chloe's free hand, "I've heard the legends."

"There's plenty to be heard, I guess," Chloe chuckled. "Cool to meet you too. Max goes on and on about you." Max scowled and elbowed her. "You, uh," Chloe raised an eyebrow, "really are young."

"But old enough for that to be a compliment," Ms. Waters laughed. She sighed and looked around the room. "This place is really nice. Way better than where we had my prom..." she snorted, "there were buckets in the corner catching rain leaking through the ceiling."

"Oh, yikes," Max giggled, which earned an 'I know' nod of seriousness from Ms. Waters.

"Yeeeah, it was a bit of a mess," she added.

"So, did you draw the short straw for chaperoning?" Chloe asked, glancing at the few other members of Blackwell staff.

"I actually volunteered," she said, "I didn't have anything to do tonight. Plus..." she gestured over to a backdrop tucked away in a separate room, "the photographer flaked out, so I'm filling in."

"Oh, that's awesome! I'm sure we'll be dropping by," Max said, craning her neck to see it.

_Huh. Hope they're paying you for that._

"Cool," Ms. Waters replied, "you two are just precious, I'll enjoy taking those."

"Oooh, I like her too," Chloe snickered, "she has a good eye."

They spoke with Ms. Waters for a few more minutes, then went back to meandering around the room. Max kept glancing at the table, feeling increasingly hungry and wishing someone would ring a bell or announce into a microphone that it was time to eat. It was during one of these longing glances that she heard Chloe squeal in delight. When she looked to see what caused it, she herself let go of an 'aww.'

"Woah!" Chloe shouted, hurrying over to Warren, "fucking look at you!" His suit was smooth and black, with an aqua blue vest to match Brooke's dress. There was clearly some sort of product in his hair, keeping it swept over to the side and only slightly squashed. She clapped her hands to his cheeks and squeezed. "My handsome little man!"

"Hi Chloe," he mumbled through his contorted lips.

"Brooke, so pretty," Max said, looking her up and down. It was actually quite surprising to see her without glasses. She wasn't sure she ever had before.

_They look great together! Aww._

"Thanks, Max," she responded with a smile, "you too." Chloe added onto the sentiment with a double click of her tongue, making an 'OK' gesture.

"It must almost be time to grub," Chloe said, her voice lilting into an inquisitive tone. "The good news," she grabbed Warren's shoulder, "is you two are sitting with us!"

"That actually is good news," he said, sighing in relief, "I was so nervous we'd be with Logan or some crap."

"Fuck that, we've got a party at our table." Chloe flitted a finger through his hair, smirking when she felt some 'crunch,' and spun around to get back to their table.

It wasn't too long after that there was in fact an announcement stating it was time to take their seats for dinner. Taylor finally showed up, exchanging the same kind of 'wow, you look great' and 'thanks, you too,' that had become the formula of the night. As they had planned, Max and Chloe ordered different meals, then segmented the dish, trading half of each onto the others plates. They bantered and bickered as they always did, and Max was grateful that they managed to work the other two students into the conversation.

"I like the really low classic rock thing they have going on right now," Chloe chuckled, motioning to one of the large speakers, "like they're trying to make the Stones sound classy."

_It's Paint It Black too... Good choice?_

"It is a bit weird," Max agreed. Then, she was suddenly struck with an odd thought and she turned her attention to Taylor. "Hey, where are Vic and Kate? I haven't seen them."

_Did I miss them?_

Much like Chloe, Kate had been at her house to get ready at the request of her parents wanting to be present for the big day. Presumably they, or at least her father, was experiencing a similar joy to Joyce and wanted to capture the feel of the day via photos and ceremony. Which meant...Victoria probably picked her up there. As far as Max knew, Victoria had indeed 'talked' to Kate, but context clues made it seemed like she'd left some things out of the discussion, much to Chloe's irritation.

_I have a weird feeling about this._

"Don't know," Taylor shrugged, "I haven't heard from either of them. I guess they are running a little late, aren't th- oh! Wait, there they are!" She pointed and everyone at the table, including the extra couple, turned. Max frowned right away, watching as Victoria was a step ahead of Kate, moving briskly in a way that seemed a lot like anger. Kate followed behind, avoiding eye contact with everyone around her.

_Shit! What is that about?_

"Uh oh," Max said, "that doesn't look good..."

"It doesn't," Warren replied, "they both look kind of shaken up."

"I mean," Courtney shifted her lips left to right in uncertainty, "one of them would have called us or something, right? I'm sure it's...fine." She looked at Warren. "...right?"

"I swear to  _god_  if something happened with her mother," Chloe growled, "I'll fucking rock her. No more teeth."

"Calm down," Max said, reaching beside her without taking her eyes off of the girls.

"Wait, are those two dating?" the girl named Miranda asked. "That's...surprising."

"Trust us, we know," Taylor said, her eyes briefly closing for a moment.

"Why would they be fighting, though?" Brooke lifted out of her seat just a little so she could see clearer. "If something did go wrong with her parents?"

"I guess...we'll have to find out," Max said quietly.

Kate and Victoria took their seats at a table, and Max waved when she finally managed to make eye contact with Kate. She waved back, and she  _was_ smiling, but it seemed very uneasy. For the rest of the meal, Max kept looking over at them, trying to figure out just how concerned she should be. It did look like they were talking, which was obviously a good sign, but there was something noticeably off. As soon as she was able to, she sprung from her seat and rushed over to the girls, catching Victoria by the shoulder just as she was standing up and spun her around.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" she asked, trying not to sound as frantic as she felt. Victoria's expression shriveled up in uncertainty.

"...yes?" she said, looking to Kate for confirmation. Kate wobbled her head side to side as she thought it over, then nodded.

"Yes," she said, taking Victoria's hand, "yes."

"Uh," Max perked an eyebrow as she looked down at their hands, "really? It didn't look that way at all. You're sure?"

"We had an..." Victoria bundled her lips to the side, "eventful afternoon." Her eyes fluttered closed as if exhausted. Max turned her gaze on Kate, furrowing her brow as she couldn't contain a gulp.

_No way..._

"Guys..." she began slowly, switching back and forth between their eyes, "do they know?" Kate's eyes fell to the floor. She fidgeted with her fingers, then snorted a small laugh.

"They  _really_ know," she said. Victoria only nodded, bug-eyed and staring at, or through, the far wall.

"Holy shit!" Max looked beside her just as Chloe joined them and regarded her incredulously, "her parents fucking know!"

_Code red! Code re- uh, rainbow? Code rainbow._

"Are you  _serious!?_ " Chloe asked, smashing her hands to her face, "what the hell happened!?"

"Looong story," Victoria chuckled, still holding Kate's hand tightly. Suddenly, the volume of the music greatly increased, jolting the room as people began to swarm the dance floor.

"You guys  _are_ okay, though?" Max asked again. Kate smiled, took Victoria's other hand, and sweetly brushed her thumb along the back of it.

"I am," she said, her eyes only for Victoria. "Do you want to dance?" Victoria bared her teeth as she smiled and she nodded. She leaned forward and kissed Kate on the cheek, then looked back to Max and Chloe.

"See you guys out there," she said, flitting her hand as she and Kate vanished into the crowd of people.

_What just happened._

"Okay, seriously, what the hell?" Max stared at Chloe confused. "We definitely need to hear more about this."

"Yes..." Chloe's head subtly moved left and right as if she couldn't even properly shake her head. She threw her hands up, then let them slap at her sides as she placed the situation into the 'whatever' bin. She smirked at Max and bent down to her ear, "well...fuck it, you wanna get out there?" Max looked out over the pulsating crowd and breathed in deeply, then she nodded.

_So many people in such a small space._

"Yeah," she said, "let's do it."

Chloe flashed a wicked smile and brought Max's hand to her lips. Then, she let go and took off into the mob of people, disappearing from sight.

_What the hell is that, Chloe!? Fine._

Max puckered her lips as if to say 'of course,' then slowly crept to the dance floor. She turned sideways, sliding herself through a tight space between other people dancing, mumbling 'sorry's' as she went. It was good that there were a reasonable amount of gaps in the crowd for her to maneuver, but she still would have preferred not having to navigate the maze just to appease Chloe's deviousness. She stopped in a roomy pocket and looked around her, giving an awkward wave to Taylor further away when they locked eyes. There was a sudden flash of blue and she rocked back on her heels as two arms slid over her shoulders, followed by lips moving against her own.

"What was that game of hide-and-seek about?" she asked, unable to hide her smile as Chloe backed away. Already she was experiencing the tunnel vision that seemed to come whenever the two of them danced or...really, any time they were in a large crowd. She still hadn't forgotten how spellbound she'd been during her first experience with it at the Halloween party. Chloe shrugged casually, turning up her nose.

"I like to keep you on your toes," she said, closing the distance between them and placing her hand on Max's lower back. She swayed to the right, then back straight.

"Not my back?" Max whipped, following along with her movement. Chloe sputtered out a laugh and shook her head.

"You know, seven months ago that would have never left your mouth," she said, her eyes piercing and latched onto Max's.

_Has it been that long already? Wow._

"Seven months ago, I didn't have anyone to say it to," Max replied. The moving figures around her blurred into ghosts, becoming nothing more than silhouettes bathing in the colorful lighting.

"Well, I'm happy you found someone," Chloe said, "are they cool?" Max tilted her head in thought, dragging it out long enough for Chloe to laugh, then she smiled.

"They're  _very_ cool," she said, "I'm incredibly lucky." Chloe smirked and took a step closer, brushing the back of her fingers across Max's cheek.

"Oh, are you?" she asked, and the way her mouth was slightly open as she awaited a response made Max want to pounce.

_God, Chloe, can you...turn it down?_

"Uh huh." Max nuzzled against Chloe's touch, then grazed her fingers up along Chloe's stomach until they found a grip on the cord of her necklace. She pulled it, bringing Chloe back into another kiss.

"You're a really good dancer," Chloe said, her voice breathy as it entered Max's ear, the swing of her hips pressing and moving against Max's.

"I learned by copying you," she giggled, "don't be such a narcissist."

"Oh, shit," Chloe laughed, "well, you have your own style!" As the song changed into something more upbeat, her swagger seamlessly switched to match it. "Seriously," she said, raising her voice, "the dress though? I fucking  _knew_ you were going to be a total smokeshow!"

"Right, as if you aren't killing it yourself," Max responded, taking hold of Chloe's hand as her steps quickened.

"I'm…" Chloe snickered, turning away while still keeping attached to Max's hand, then spun back around, "I'm kind of rocking it, aren't I?"

_Yes. Rocking the dress. Rocking your hips. Rocking my head._

"Definitely," Max beamed, "it's hard to concentrate on not stepping on your feet. Or...my own."

"Oh, really?" Chloe forcefully redirected Max's hand to her backside, once again smashing their bodies together. Though it hadn't been visible through the dress, she now very clearly felt a lacy pattern against her palm. Chloe smirked and tugged Max leaned close to her ear once again. "Remember that time I wore that skirt?"

_How could I even possibly forget?_

"A lot," Max replied, then chuckled at her awkward wording, "yes, I do."

"That was fu-un," Chloe said in a singsong voice before stepping away and releasing her hold of Max. She closed her eyes, her hips swinging like a pendulum as her hands drifted upward, grazing her own neck. Max realized she'd just about come to a complete stop.

_Dammit. You evil mastermind._

Max smiled, then fell into a flow of her own, though she kept her eyes on Chloe, half-lidded and taunting. Chloe bit her lip, and Max was very pleased that she could tell it was reactionary and not a means of retaliation. She shook her head and paraded back to Max, gripping her tightly by the waist.

"Hey," she said, "I'm really fucking in love with you."

"I love you too," Max giggled, squeezing her. The song changed again, this time to something that piqued Chloe's interest.

"Oh, okay, this is more like it! Get a little rowdy, a little sweaty…" She grabbed Max's hands and grew more chaotic in her movements, her neck rolling around on her shoulders as the initial thump of drums were joined by the other instruments, building and growing as if the tune had a lit wick, finally exploding into an exuberant wail and chorus of 'da da da's.' Chloe howled in time with the song, then started hopping up and down wildly, wielding brilliant smile. She tugged Max's hands, and the girl rolled her eyes before joining in.

_You can always count on Chelsea Dagger to get a room going. No wonder they play it at sports games._

After a particularly high jump, Chloe landed and dove forward, catching Max around the waist and lifted her up. She spun around, laughing manically as Max continued rocking her head to the left and right. Once she was set down, Max tore her hands through Chloe's hair, kissing her on the collarbone. Chloe took a large step backward, screaming again as she smiled. She roughly spun Max around, locking her arms around Max's chest. She leaned rested her chin on Max's shoulder, thrusting her pelvis forward into Max's rear.

"Hey," Chloe shouted, keeping Max locked within her grasp, "I think you're ready for the mosh pit, shaka brah!" She cackled as Max's head dipped forward, her smile retreating into a straight line.

_Was hoping you'd forgotten about that..._

* * *

"I'm sweating like a motherfucker," Chloe chuckled, maintaining a jaunty stride as she and Max headed over to the refreshments table. She jerked to a stop and nudged Max, tilting her head at a girl standing a the far end of the table, carefully putting a small stack of cookies into the napkin in her hand.

_Oh, why hello, you secrety...secret keeper._

"Kate," Max said, sliding next to her, "where you been?"

"Dancing," Kate giggled, gesturing back to the dance floor. "I was going to come over, but you two seemed pretty...invested."

"I guess you could call it that," Max admitted with a smirk, taking two cups off the table and handing one to Chloe. "So, uh, care to...tell us what happened?"

_SPILL BEFORE I SHAKE YOU._

"Oh, right…" Kate took a bite of one of the cookies and rolled her eyes, speaking again while she chewed, "so, Vic came to pick me up but my parents were sort of confused why she was the only one. I guess they expected more people?" She swallowed and grew a small smile. "We were on the doorstep just...being there, I guess. I think the way we were staring at each other raised some suspicions."

"You outed yourself with goo goo eyes?" Chloe asked, taking a sip of the punch.

"Well, not exactly…" Kate raised her hand, showing off the corsage that complemented her billowy, cream colored dress perfectly. "This definitely made them even more alarmed." Rather than say anything, Max only stared back, waiting for further elaboration. "And...Vic just started talking. She was saying all of these amazing things and then she…" Kate blushed and her smile grew bigger, "she said she loved me."

_Woah, Victoria._

"Holy shit…" Max said quietly. She waved the hand not holding the cup. "Wait, so what happened? With...your parents?" Kate sighed and popped the last bit of a cookie into her mouth, her eyes angled to the side.

"Dad was just sort of stunned," she said, then sadness overtook her features, "Mom freaked out. She screamed and screamed and...screamed." As she spoke, Max wrapped her arms around her.

"Kate, I'm sorry…" She squeezed her tightly, and Kate huffed.

"I'm...not," she said, shaking her head, "I think that's what upsets me. Knowing that I've gotten pushed to this place where I just...don't care anymore."

"What does that, uh, mean going forward?" Chloe asked, also settling in close to Kate and putting an arm around her.

"I don't know," she said, "Mom told me not to come home tonight, which seems kind of ridiculous even for her. I'm not even staying at home?" Kate's brows angled in anger. "And then she started yelling at Abby because of course she defended us." She stepped out of Max's embrace and looked at them with a hint of bitter humor. "Victoria really exploded on my Mom, it was kind of...amazing."

_At least she has her hands… I might have actually been worried she'd attack her physically._

"So...yeah, I don't know," Kate repeated, "we'll have to see if my Dad even tries to fix it this time, but I don't really think I care enough to. It's...really sad, but…" Her eyes shot over Max's shoulder and smiled again, "but I have other things to be happy about."

"Hey you two," Victoria said, stepping between Max and Chloe, "where are you guys at? Why aren't you dancing with us?" She took one of the cookies out of Kate's hands.

"You fucking told her you loved her in front of her parents?" Chloe asked, whacking the back of her hand several times against Victoria's shoulder.

"Ow, ow, hey!" Victoria cowered, shrinking with each hit, "it...it just happened!" She fought off Chloe's hand and stood back up straight, running her hands over the shimmering, emerald dress. "Look, I know, okay?" She turned to Kate. "Don't I know?"

"She knows," Kate confirmed.

"Yeah, I realize...I kind of forced the issue. I know that," she said, staring down at the floor, "but also, I don't know, we talked last night and it just seemed like the thing to do."

"You're both being  _way_  chiller about this than even makes sense," Max said, shaking her head with wide eyes, "I don't even understand."

_I'm freaking out more than you are!_

"Shock, maybe?" Kate gave a small shrug and handed Victoria one of the cookies. "I know there's going to be a lot of drama and sadness to come, but tonight? I just...want to be with the person I love."

"You said it too?" Chloe asked, throwing her hands up, "you guys are going to be the death of me!"

"This is crazy," Max said. She took a deep breath, then put a hand on Kate's shoulder. "Well, you both know we're here for you. No matter what. Okay?"

"Thanks, Max," Kate said. She puffed out her lips, then conjured a beautiful smile. "Well, screw it." She gestured back out to the dance floor. "Let's get back out there."

* * *

About halfway through the night, Dana ran up to the girls and whisked them away to the room where Ms. Waters was taking pictures. In hindsight, Max really wished she had decided to do it sooner, since now everyone was much less put together than when they had started.

"Whose idea was it to wait this long?" Max asked, wiping her forehead with a paper towel. Dana shrugged and finished off the bottle of water she'd been drinking with a breathy 'ahhh.'

"Don't shrug," Chloe snickered, pointing at her, "it was you!"

"Okay, I fucking forgot!" Dana threw her hands up. "Is that what you wanna hear, Chloe?"

"Yeah, actually," Chloe responded, sticking her tongue out as she handed Max another paper towel.

"Language, Ms. Ward," Ms. Waters said smugly as she adjusted her camera. "Okay, so, is it just you three or...?"

"No, there's…" Dana stopped for a moment, her eyes moving in an arc as she thought, "well, actually, we should probably get Victoria and Kate and...Taylor and Warren and, uh, well, Trevor and them, of course, and…"

"Alright!" Chloe held a flat in front of her for Dana to stop. "Alright. We know we have a lot of friends."

_That was overwhelming!_

"Sorry, I work better if I think out loud," Dana giggled. "Okay, I guess I'll go hunting for the rest of them and send 'em here." She gave two thumbs up. "You guys corral them. Don't let them leave."

"Why were we the first ones you picked?" Max asked, "we didn't sign up for this job!"

"Just wait here," Dana laughed, jettisoning back out into the main room before any more protests could be made.

_We're not shepherds._

"Well...shit," Max said, sliding down the wall until she was sitting. She turned to Ms. Waters and smiled. "So, how's your night going?"

"S'alright so far," she replied, "only had to tell people dry humping wasn't an appropriate pose twice, so I'll mark it as a victory." She clicked her tongue and shot a single finger gun at Max. "Pretty impressive."

"There goes our pose," Chloe said, with an exaggerated whine.

_I know, right? Dang._

"Yeah, let's not make it three," Ms. Waters chuckled. "Anyway, how about you two? Having fun?"

"Yes, actually!" Max said. "I still don't think I'm very good at dancing, but we're managing."

"That's good," Ms. Waters nodded. She stepped away from the camera and squinted, then tiptoed over to Chloe, leaning in close to her. "Hey," she whispered, "do you have a smoke I can bum?"

_Oh, wow._

"Why do you assume I smoke?" Chloe asked, fighting to keep a straight face. Ms. Waters huffed and chuckled.

"Dude," she said plainly.

"This is not very teacher behavior," Max pointed out. Ms. Waters looked down at her and shrugged in agreement.

"Okay, but I'm not  _technically_ a teacher right now," she responded, then tilted her head at Chloe, "and she's not a student."

_Teachers aren't allowed to use loopholes._

"Well, I actually don't have any on me," Chloe said, grinning when Ms. Waters deflated, "there's some in my truck but that's sort of a hassle. You could try Victoria?" The woman showed visible distaste at the suggestion.

"Hey, you didn't even ask me," Max said, then pouted when both Chloe and Ms. Waters regarded her as if she was a harmless kitten. "Okay, fine."

"I'll manage," Ms. Waters snickered, "just figured I'd ask." She started back toward her camera, then stopped and looked at Max. "Hey, I just saw that you haven't put in any college apps?"

"Oh, yeah," Max said, stretching her legs out in front of her, "I'm taking a year off and staying in Arcadia Bay. Just to have a little bit of a break."

"Uh huh..." Ms. Waters angled her head back and touched a hand to her chin. "Well, I was thinking...maybe if you wanted, we could work together over the summer? I'll be taking professional jobs, you could help and work on your portfolio. I mean, I have..." she wiggled her eyebrows, "connections."

_Woah._

"Wait, seriously?" Max asked, getting to her feet.

"Yeah, seriously," Ms. Waters said. "You're very talented, and you're...you know, cool. I think it'd be fun to work together. I guess," she scrunched her nose, "eh, I kind of hate the word, but I could mentor you?"

_No way. Noway._

"Uh, wow, yeah," Max smiled and turned to Chloe, as if double checking she'd heard right, "yeah, I'd love that! That would be so awesome!"

"Great," Ms. Waters laughed, "we'll discuss it more later. I'm happy to hear you're considering it."

"Damn, Max," Chloe chuckled, looping an arm around her shoulders, "look at you already networking."

"On accident too!" she proclaimed proudly, grinning when Ms. Waters exhaled laughter through her nose. At the sound of talking, she turned her attention to two people coming into the room. "Hey, you two."

_Wow, I thought I was sweaty._

"Hi," Warren said, a confused look on his face. "Dana just...threw us in this direction?" He pointed behind him to make it known Dana was out there stalking her prey.

"Almost literally," Brooke added, moving her ankle back and forth, balancing her foot on the point of the heel.

_Dana is scary sometimes._

"Yeah, she's a fucking psycho," Chloe said, bursting into laughter. "How's it going?"

"I'm having fun," Brooke said, sounding as if she were admitting it to herself.

"Dude, I'm so bad at dancing," Warren groaned, clapping his hands to his face. "I'm like a puppet being controlled by someone who doesn't realize they're controlling a puppet!"

"Oh, you are not," Brooke replied, nudging him. He blushed and shrugged.

_D'aww, he's all red. More red, anyway._

"I don't know..." he shook his head, "thanks, Brooke. Anyway, how about you two?"

"Hm?" Chloe stared at him. "Oh, no, we're great dancers." She pressed her cheek against Max's and smiled wide.

_Snark level 100._

"Har har," Warren responded, adding a genuine laugh at the end, "so, having a good time, then?"

"Yeah," Max said. She took a deep breath. "Oh man, just wait until you hear what happened with Kate and Vic." She ran a hand across her forehead. "It is so crazy."

"Oh, shit, yeah!" Warren and Brooke exchanged a look. "Are they alright?"

"Language, Mr. Graham," Ms. Waters interjected, now staring at her phone. Max cocked an eyebrow and turned in her direction.

_I swore earlier. Hm._

"Fuck?" she said, framing it as a question. Ms. Waters only side-eyed her and smirked. "Heh, neat!"

"Anyway, yeah, they're fine," Chloe said, taking the responsibility to answer, "or...yanno, fine-ish."

"Sounds like it definitely needs elaboration." He exhaled and shook his head. "At least they're not fighting. You'll have to tell us later."

"We will," Max said, "or they will. Someone will. You know how we work." As soon as she'd finished speaking, the unmistakable sound of Victoria's face drew nearer.

_Jeez, she's like Beetlejuice or something._

"Fucking hell," Victoria snarled, stomping into the room with Kate in tow. "Dana jumped in between us while we were dancing and pushed us over here!" Ms. Waters sighed and spun around, pointing at Victoria with narrowed eyes.

"Ms. Chase," she said sternly, "do...you have a cigarette?"

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen," the DJ said, casting his gaze around the room and dropping his voice to something smokey, "this is the last song of the night. Grab someone dear to you."

"God, he makes it sound so lame," Chloe chuckled, hooking her arm with Max's. "Last song, huh? I'm...kind of sad it's almost over."

"Me too," Max said, "tonight's been really fun. Way more...I don't know, special than I was expecting?" Chloe nodded in agreement, and they made their way into the crowd, glued to each others side. Max spun around to face her. "Okay, make the call. Good song or bad?"

_Make it count, Mr. DJ._

"Probably bad," she laughed, "I'm assuming some kind of..." She perked an ear at the very first note, and stared at the speaker with wide eyes. "No way. This..." She shook her head and burst into a joyous, disbelieving laughter, placing her hands on Max's waist. "Do you know this song!?"

"I think I've heard it," Max responded, listening for a little more to go one, "why?"

"This was..." Chloe's jaw moved with the urge for words, her lips pulled into a smile, "this was like, my mom and dad's song." Her eyes welled up and she grinned, touching her forehead to Max's. "No way, man. No way..."

_Wow. That's a crazy coincidence..._

"Babe?" Max brushed her finger under Chloe's eye, "are you okay?"

"I am... _so_ fucking okay," Chloe said, beginning to sway slowly left and right. At her reassurance, Max laid her head on Chloe's shoulder and roped her arms around her. Chloe tilted her head down, kissing Max's temple.

_This is...so perfect._

_"I know your eyes in the morning sun... I feel you touch me in the pouring rain..."_ Chloe sang directly into Max's ear, the softness of it somehow piercing through the loud music. She cradled her dearly as they moved, one of her hands sliding to Max's lower back. " _...and it's me you need to show,"_ she sang, her voice picking up with the rise in falsetto, " _how deep is your love? I really need to learn 'cuz we're living in a world of fools breaking us down, when they all should let us be..."_ She gently pulled Max off of her and stared deeply into her eyes, " _we belong to you and me."_

And with that, they were alone on the dance floor, comfortably trapped within each others gaze. The music sank between them, pulsing hard and purposefully in their chests. Chloe's hands on Max felt like they burnt through the cloth of her dress, radiating up through her with the warmth she'd only ever known Chloe to supply. Her eyes, still set in the middle of the dark black eyeliner, were shining in the dimly lit room, focused only on Max. As if they'd be damned to ever miss another moment of the girl's existence. And her lips were just so...

_I need you._

Max darted forward, crashing her lips against Chloe's. She immediately felt the hands shift on her, one creeping through the back of her hair while the other desperately clawed near her ribcage. Max cupped Chloe's cheek, swinging up onto her tiptoes. There they stood, perfectly in the center of the dance floor, locked in a kiss that fought tooth and nail through tragic conditions just to exist at all. She didn't care who saw them. In fact, she thought the more who did, the better. The entire world should be witnessing this moment, because Max thought they too deserved to see what love truly looked like.

* * *

Giddy and utterly unable to control their smiles, Max and Chloe left the building and met the night air. It draped over them sweetly, clearing some of the fog from their minds. It was a natural high, holding them upright and beckoning a constant stream of giggles. Chloe turned to Max and took her hand.

"You know, I feel fucking crazy right now," she said, one corner of her lips reaching up to her ear. Max laughed and involuntarily bit her lip.

"What kind of crazy?" she asked. Chloe shrugged and swiped her other hand through the air.

"I-I mean..." she shook her head as she chuckled, "I have no idea. I'm just like, way out of my mind."

"Do you like it?" Max regarded her curiously, still smiling.

"Yeah," Chloe said, her head nodding slowly, "yeah, it's awesome. Adrenaline, maybe? Or...or I don't even know." Max took a few steps toward the fountain and Chloe followed, snatching her up in a hug from behind. She turned around in her arms and stared at Chloe, examining her playfully.

_Your eyes... So pretty._

"Your pupils are dilated," she giggled.

"Really?" Chloe asked, holding her head back.

"Uh huh," Max said and Chloe stuck her tongue out, her eyes straying to the side as she thought.

"That's funny. Look what you do to me," she snickered, "you're relentless."

"That's okay," Max responded simply, "I don't mind."

"Me either," Chloe said, pulling her in for yet another kiss. As Max stepped away, she looked at Chloe with sleepy eyes.

"Shall I take you to get your McDonald's now?" she asked.

"Let's rain-check that, okay?" Chloe laughed, shaking her head. She dragged her fingers down Max's arm, looking her over thoughtfully. "I just want to be alone with you."

_Yeah...same._

"I was hoping you'd say that," Max replied, her voice quiet.

"Well, your wish is my command," Chloe chuckled. She glanced back at the building. "Should...we say bye to everyone?" Max's eyes darted upward in contemplation, then she smiled.

"They'll be fine," she said, taking hold of Chloe and descending the steps. There were only a few people outside making their way to their cars, most electing to stay inside until they were probably forced to leave. They zigzagged through the rows, but Max came to a stop when she recognized two people approaching a car.

_Hmm? What are you two up to?_

"Hey," she said, walking over to Kate and Victoria, "what's up guys?"

"Oh, uh, nothin' much," Victoria responded, squinting as she slowly reached for the handle of the car door. Kate cast her gaze downward, trying and failing to hide a giggle.

"Right," Chloe said, "same. Are you two going to that after party thing? Wherever it is?"

"Um..." Victoria glanced at Kate, who only looked back with a sheepish smile, "no." Victoria smiled herself and touched her neck in a show of nervousness. "No, we have...other plans."

_Huh. Good for you guys. That...really makes me happy._

Max looked at Chloe knowingly and the girl smirked in return. At quite literally any other time, they would be reacting bombastically, elated to tease/encourage Victoria and Kate. But now wasn't the time for that. It was too fragile, too perfect of a night. So, Max only smiled back at them.

"Okay," she said, giving her a nod, "have a good night, guys."

"Thanks," Kate said, sending her a look that said a hundred different, blissful things, then she got into the car. Victoria turned back to them, her face burning very red.

"You too, okay?" she said, "with the good night, I mean."

"We will," Chloe assured, waving at her, "drive safe, alright?" Victoria nodded and without a second more of lingering, Max and Chloe continued on to the truck and climbed inside. They both fell back into the seat, taking a moment to simply 'be.'

"I love the moon right now," Max finally said, staring up at it through her window. It was golden in color and enormous, lighting up the darkness.

"When...we get back, we can take some pics of it," Chloe suggested. Max chuckled and turned back to her.

"Not tonight," she said. "No camera tonight." She looked Chloe up and down slowly, as if committing it to memory. "I don't need one."

_I'll never forget this. There's no way._

"Alright," Chloe responded, her voice caught in her throat. She turned the key, bringing the truck to a low rumble. "So, uh, Blackwell or my place?"

"Um..." Max poked the dashboard, smiling goofily, "are your parents home tonight?"

"Yeah," Chloe said.

"Blackwell," Max replied quickly. Chloe grinned and nodded.

"Sounds good," she said, taking hold of the volume dial on the stereo, "you ready?"

"Hella ready," Max confirmed, leaning across the seat and resting her head on Chloe's shoulder. Chloe touched her head to Max's for a moment, then turned up the volume, showering the inside of the cab with a slow, wonderful song that spoke for each of their hearts.

* * *

It was dark in Max's room, illuminated only by the lanterns above her bed. She closed the door quietly, then placed her hands on Chloe's sides, taking her into a kiss. Chloe responded, clutching Max against herself, releasing a barely audible moan as the girl eased her teeth around her lip, pulling gently. Max broke the kiss and led Chloe to the bed. She laid on her back, then slipped her fingers into the cut of Chloe's dress, pulling her down on top of her.

They kissed again, then Chloe sat back, unlacing her boots. She tossed each onto the floor, then turned her attention to Max's shoes, doing the same as she removed them. The thuds of them hitting the ground rang out, almost echoing. The room was held in a different sort of quiet, one that was attentive and respectful of what was taking place. She prowled toward Max again, this time running her hands up the girl's legs, hiking her dress higher and higher as it caught on her wrists. Lowering herself, she softly kissed Max's thigh several times, then added a tiny pinch of teeth before moving away.

Unblinking, Max watched as Chloe reached one hand further up under her dress, grasping at the cloth of her underwear. A breath of anticipation escaped Max's throat and she reached down, gripping the girl's hair, trying to utilize as much gentleness as possible as she used it as leverage to sit up. Her hands dipped behind her, and she unzipped her dress. Grabbing either side of it, she pulled it down until it was at her waist, at which point Chloe helped remove it entirely.

Max got to her knees and crawled to Chloe, reaching up and carefully pulling the hair tie out of her hair. As it fell around her shoulders, Max swept both hands up through it, pulling Chloe's head back just enough to fully expose her throat. Chloe's eyes fluttered at the slow, kneading kisses on her neck and she wrapped her arms around Max. Her fingers worked, unclasping Max's bra, and it fell between them. She tossed it onto the floor, then placed a hand on the back of Max's head, silently requesting for her to apply more pressure to her neck.

Then, Max took hold of the bottom of Chloe's dress, working it up until she was able to duck underneath it and plant a flurry of kisses on her chest. Her hand wandered below her, and as Chloe opened her mouth to make noise, Max stifled it with another kiss. With a smirk, she gave two small tugs on the dress. The girl complied, slipping out of it and wrangling Max into her arms, breathing deeply as lips grazed her all over.

"Max," she whispered, speaking for the first time since reaching Blackwell, "you're my hero." Max stopped and sat back, looking at her softly. Chloe looked down and placed a hand over the scar on her side. "My...my dreams that I've been having..." Max reached forward, caressing her cheek as she spoke, her expression slipping into something sad for a moment. "The one thing they've really shown me is...is just how many times you saved my life. Over and over and..." Her nostril flared as her eyes watered. "You just...saved me. You didn't let me go."

_Never._

"Chloe..." Max said, her eyes heavy with sweetness. She brought a thumb underneath Chloe's eye, brushing away a tear. She couldn't help but smile as the eyeliner smudge a bit.

_She still thinks about this so much. I...guess I would too._

"You're my literal hero," Chloe continued, her voice awestruck, "and...I really do think that, um..." Her hand rubbed over the scar several times. "I hope it's not selfish to say this, but I think if I did die in the bathroom, you would've...you would've come back for me."

"I  _know_ I would have," Max said, "it's not even a question." Her thumb fell from Chloe's eye, touching her cheek.

"You're my Max," Chloe said quietly, reminding herself.

"I'm your Max," she assured, nodding with a smile. "Your Max. All yours. Property of Chloe."

"Forever?" Chloe asked, though it doubled as a promise.

"Longer," Max said. She kissed Chloe's cheek and placed her hand over top of the one Chloe had on her scar.

"I like that answer," Chloe smiled. She looked into Max's eyes for a moment, then chuckled as she reached behind her, undoing her bra. "You get this look sometimes, you know?"

_Oh?_

"A look?" Max asked, unable to keep herself from leaving a trail of kisses across Chloe's breasts before sitting back up and staring intently.

"Yeah," she said, "your eyes just...they get so...full. And your freckles get all, I don't even know, cuter somehow?" She ran her thumb across Max's lower lip. "Your lips get... You just, when you smile, it's hard to stay away. And you smile like that at  _me._ " Max involuntarily proved her point. "Yeah," Chloe nodded, "I've never seen a smile like that." Her lip curled into a warm half-smile. "You get this look and it's  _so_  hard to focus on anything else."

"Do you  _want_  to focus on anything else?" Max asked, her fingers slipping between Chloe's fingers as they pressed on her side.

"No," Chloe chuckled, "I really don't." She stared at her for a moment, puckering her lips. "Deeper than anything," she said with conviction. "Bottomless."

"What do you mean?" Max tilted her head curiously. Chloe shrugged shyly.

"How deep is your love..." she said, then shook her head as if it were obvious, "it's bottomless."

_Ah, yeah. That's definitely one of my favorite songs ever now._

"You're a dork," Max giggled very quietly, clutched in the tenderness of the her words. She placed her hands on Chloe's shoulders, then slid her knees over the girl's so that she was straddling her. "Can you sing to me again sometime?"

_I loved that._

"Max, I'll do anything for you," she laughed. Max grinned, then brought her hands to Chloe's cheeks, kissing her. Her back arched, pressing their chests together as she stole Chloe's breath.

_Let's see..._

"Liiiike marry me?" she asked, batting her lashes. Chloe leaned back a bit, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Are you asking for real?" Chloe narrowed her eyes and smiled, stroking Max's thigh. .

"Just wondering out loud," Max replied, touching her nose to Chloe's.

"Huh," Chloe swished her head side to side in an eskimo kiss, "I would've said yes."

"I know," Max said, "I just like to keep you on your toes." Chloe sputtered out a laugh and nodded.

"Alright, alright, you were patient with that one," she said. Her shoulders relaxed as she exhaled a deep breath, and she tilted her head down to achieve optimal puppy dog eyes. "Not my back?"

_Heheh, good girl._

"There ya go," Max giggled, slipping backward off of Chloe's lap. She roped a hand under the girl's arm and slowly fell backward. Chloe followed, positioning herself next to Max as they laid on the bed.

"So, when do you think we should?" Chloe asked, her hand skittering across Max's stomach and pelvis, acting with a mind of its own.

"I don't know," she responded, "I'm not in a...rush, per se. I mean..." She gave Chloe a devilish look. "I have you."

"That you definitely do," Chloe agreed. She turned on her side and dipped two fingers into the band of Max's underwear. "I guess I'm not in a hurry either. Maybe..." she stifled a laugh, "ah, no, I'd do it right now if I could."

_If only._

"Where do you think we'd live?" Max asked, her eyes closed as Chloe teased her.

"Oh, some place really nice," Chloe said, "maybe where there's a beach? Or a...big city? Anywhere. Home is where the heart is and all that. And mine's..." she prodded Max in the chest, "always with you."

" _Such_ a dork," Max giggled, emphasizing her earlier point. "We have to go to college first..." She exhaled at Chloe's touch, then snickered as she flipped onto her side to face Chloe. "Hey," she whispered, pushing her flat onto her back, "you are not the one in charge right now." Her hand traced its way to Chloe's chest, and the girl moaned at the gentle pulling feeling. Max tapped her on the thigh. "Legs."

"Yes master," Chloe laughed, planting her feet on the bed and raising her rear into the air. Max purred and slowly pulled Chloe's underwear off, tossing it over her shoulder onto the growing pile of clothes.

_Love how she understood exactly what I meant. Love everything about her._

"I love you," Max said, kissing Chloe's ear.

"I love you t-" Chloe's breath hitched and she reached beside her to take hold of Max's arm. "Love you too," she said, finishing the thought.

"Tonight," Max began, coercing sounds that drove her crazy out of Chloe, "was a very, very good night." Though she was in the middle of...other feelings, Chloe smiled in agreement. It quickly vanished and her face flushed, her chest rising and falling at a faster rate. She dug her nails into Max's arm, which Max knew she'd apologize for later despite her saying multiple times that she didn't mind. A few moments later, Chloe covered her mouth as she went rigid, then deflated into the bed.

_And I definitely love that._

"Hey," Chloe said, out of breath and staring at Max with huge, gorgeous blue eyes.

"Hm?" Max danced her finger around Chloe's stomach, proud as she watched the girl tried to reclaim her breath.

"Would you have said yes if I asked?" She smirked, finally getting her breathing to even out. Max thought for a moment, unsure of what she was referring to. Then she smiled wide.

"Yeah," she said, "in a heartbeat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Lub-dub.
> 
> Heya! The prom chapter finally arrives. I toiled over this one for a bit, so I hope it met expectations. I actually like it kind of a lot!
> 
> Now, I do know what some of you might be thinking - are you REALLY not going to show us what happened with Kate and Victoria in Ouroboros, the story that's dedicated SO much time to building up that relationship? And the answer is...nope. Instead, I'll show it to you in another story.
> 
> Yep, I figured I'd finally "announce" that I've been working on a ChaseMarsh story. I've been planning on it for about a year now, but so many people have been asking for it lately that I might as well just tell you. It'll work alongside Ouroboros and be told from Victoria's POV. We'll be seeing familiar scenes through her eyes, and also some things we've only heard about (Thanksgiving Dinner, for example.) I'm not planning on releasing it until it is finished, but I already have three chapters done. The only reason I've been waiting is for Ouroboros itself to advance.
> 
> So, yeah! No particular ETA yet on when it'll be out, but you can expect it eventually! Maybe some people will find that exciting :p
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Love you all and thanks for reading!


	64. Currents

"Bing!" Chloe cheered, wiggling side to side excitedly. She was on the floor, flat on her stomach as she maneuvered the mouse around on one of Max's textbooks. Peeking her tongue through her teeth, she typed on the laptop, giggling when a speech bubble that read 'get fucked' popped over her character's head.

"It's 'ding,' Chloe," Warren laughed, "but congrats. We're almost ready for the first expansion." He fell against the back of the couch and yawned. "It's so early..."

"I wanted to play before work," Chloe pouted, turning onto her side and propping herself up with her elbow, "and I  _dinged,_ so we made progress. I'm ready for whatever the next thing is. I'll eat their souls."

_It's a little disconcerting how much Chloe likes controlling demons and destroying people's souls._

"I'm actually surprised we're making such good time," Max said, turning in her desk chair and looking at Warren, "did they make leveling way easier?" Chloe furrowed her brow and glared at her.

"Yeah, they've streamlined it a lot," he replied, leaning forward again to tend to his laptop, "they made it way, way faster."

"You guys are really sucking the whole feeling of victory out of this..." Chloe muttered, rolling her eyes. "Oh, it's just so easy now," she mocked in a high-pitched voice.

_I can't tell if she's mimicking me or Warren..._

"Oh, chill out," Max giggled, "we're very proud of you, Chlo. We'll nail your laptop to the fridge so everyone can see."

"Kay," Chloe mumbled, rolling back onto her stomach and burying her lips into her crossed arms in front of her. She peered over them at Max with puppy eyes.

_Don't give me that look._

"Besides, it's just fun to play with you guys anyway," Warren said. He pointed at Chloe. "The expansion is cool, it's about this world that got completely torn apart. Like, it's just all screwed up."

"Woah, forreal!?" Chloe sprang back up onto her knees. "I'm about that! Can we go now!?"

"No, babe," Max chuckled, "you have to get ready for work soon and I gotta meet up with Brooke and the girls for book club."

"Fucking..." Chloe sighed, "alright, fine. But soon, alright? I'm psyched for weird, broken world. I'm going to rule it."

"Yeah, sure," Warren said, closing his laptop. He nodded at Max. "How's the book club thing going, by the way?"

"It's cool," she replied, "we're reading Alice in Wonderland right now on Kate's suggestion. It's pretty short, so it shouldn't take too long. Plus, it's been forever since I've read it. I'm wondering if it's as crazy as I remember."

"Rachel and I got baked once and watched the Disney version," Chloe laughed, "we were like, so fucking amazed. Even though I'd already seen it god knows how many times. It was like a brand new movie." She pulled the corners of her mouth into a big, deformed grin. "That cat is shady business."

_Funny how much you remind me of him._

"You really make me want to try that," Warren snickered, shaking his head. Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" she asked, a glint of deviousness in her eyes. Warren held up his hands.

"I'll pass. I'm just saying, you make it tempting," he said. "Skydivers also make it sound tempting, but I'm not really going to jump out of a plane."

"As with all things," Chloe began, getting to her feet and slowly stalking toward Warren, "you just need a little..." she pounced, "push!" She crashed into him, knocking him over onto his side.

"If you pushed me out of a plane, I would  _so_ break up with you," Max laughed. Chloe turned to her and narrowed her eyes.

"Would you, though?" she asked. Max stared back at her for a moment, then pouted as she looked at the floor. "Ha! You wouldn't!"

_Dammit._

"I'm not proud of that," Max said quietly.

"Aren't you, though?" Chloe asked again, cackling when Max flared her nostril in defeat. She helped Warren upright, then patted him on the shoulder. "Alright, War-War, Max and I need some alone time before I need to work. You must vamonos." She flicked her hand at the door several times.

"Well, don't need to tell me twice," he chuckled, standing up and putting his laptop under his arm. "Have fun with...getting ready."

"Will do!" Max said cheerily, waving as he left the room. She stood up from her desk and joined Chloe on the couch, slinging her arms over the girl's shoulders. "I  _am_ proud of you, babe. You did very well."

"Thanks," Chloe giggled, nuzzling her nose against Max's. "It's hard work being all...demon-y."

_Yeah, I'm sure it doesn't at all come easy for you._

"D'aww," Max said with feigned pity, "does my girl need to unwind after her big day on the battlefield?"

"I could go for it," she responded, angling her head and meeting Max's lips. Max pushed her onto her back, fitting her legs comfortably around Chloe's, and softly stroked her hair as the kiss grew deeper. When it broke, she rested her head on Chloe's chest. "Man," Chloe sighed, "I really don't mind work once I'm there, but parting is the sweetest fucking sorrow."

"I've thought the same thing before," Max chuckled, "but at least I always have something to look forward to."

"Oh, that's true," Chloe mused, "when we're apart, we can always be excited for when we're not anymore. That's cute." Max raised her head and grew a toothy grin.

"I meant the part about you leaving," she teased. "God, you're just so..." she moved her hand like a yapping dog, "meh, meh, meh."

"You little shit," Chloe laughed, spearing her hands to Max's sides as she began to tickle her. "I'll show you meh, meh, meh!"

* * *

"Oh, Kate!" Max said, waving as the girl stepped out of her room.

"Hi, Max," she replied, giving her trademark smile that warmed up the room. "Are you ready for more Alice?"

"Totally." Max held up her copy of the book and shook it around. "I'm ready to be taken on a literary drug trip." She giggled. "You should bring Alice, I'm sure she'd love to hear her story."

"I've actually..." Kate smiled wider with a hint of blush, "I've read it to her before. More than once."

_That is...absolutely precious._

"That's very cute," Max snickered, "and I bet she's smarter than all the other rabbits because of it!"

"Maybe," she chuckled, "I've never had her evaluated. Maybe she could take one of my exams for me."

"Or let her take one of mine," Max corrected, "I wouldn't mind the help." There was a brief lull of silence where they only stared at each other and Max cleared her throat, trying to keep a straight face. "So, uh, I saw Victoria sneaking out of your room this morning."

"She was sneaking?" Kate asked incredulously, then she sighed as the blush from earlier returned even stronger. "Oh, I see what you're saying."

_Oh, I'm sayin' it._

"So, things are going well, then?" Max asked. Kate only nodded sheepishly. "That's very good to hear. And, uh..." She leaned against the wall, restricting a frown. "Any news on the home situation?"

"Not...really, no," Kate responded, thumbing through the pages of her book. "Abby's said that my mom is just kind of behaving as normal, like nothing happened. Even though everybody else in the house is on edge." She gave a small shrug. "I don't know if that means she's erased me in her mind and now it's just time to move on or...something?"

"That's awful," Max said quietly. "I mean, she's your mom, right? She loves you and she'll learn to accept it in time..." Even as she spoke, the sentence lost its conviction.

"I think..." Kate looked at Max with a sad smile, "I think that might not happen in real life as much as we see in the movies."

_I really lucked out with cool parents..._

"Yeah..." Max tilted her head down, trying to read Kate's eyes, "are you okay?"

"I am." She nodded resolutely. "Okay doesn't have to mean everything's perfect. It just means...I can deal with the fact that it's not." She held out a hand to explain. "Prayer of Serenity, you know?"

_The Anti-Time Travel Motto._

"I know," Max said. She smirked and placed a hand on Kate's arm. "You're a badass. You know that, right?"

"I am?" Kate asked, somewhat surprised.

"Definitely," Max said.

"Huh..." Kate snickered and shook her head, "I kind of like that." She turned around and started toward Brooke's door, with Max following behind her.

"Good," Max laughed, "you should wear that title proudly!" Kate gave her another quick smile and roll of the eyes, then knocked.

"Hey guys," Brooke greeted as she opened her door, "just in time."

"Hiya Brooke," Max replied, ducking inside after Kate. Alyssa held her hand up in greeting. "And hey to you too. What's up, Alyssa?"

"Same as always," she said somewhat dryly, turning left and right on the rotating stool in the center of the room. "And hi." She nodded at Kate, who responded with a cheery wave of her own.

Max looked around, taking note of Brooke's room. She'd only seen it twice before, and it was still something of a wonder to her. There was a bookshelf in the corner crammed from top to bottom, which filled Max with just the slightest bit of envy, and a large whiteboard against one wall with equations and scientific notes scribbled on it. A small skeleton dangling by a hook took residence on a corner of her desk, while a globe preoccupied the other. Max thought that, really, if someone only had a passing glance, they might think it was a classroom. Or  _maybe_  that was just her distaste for school showing through.

_For sure Warren's speed, but not exactly mine._

Max took a seat on the couch, smiling when Kate sat next to her, and held up the book.

"We're on chapter two, right?" she asked.

"Yep," Brooke confirmed, dragging her desk chair to the center with Alyssa, "we should be able to get through a few today. They're short."

"Are we doing the sequel?" Alyssa asked, "I wouldn't mind."

"I'd like to," Kate said, "but we can do something else in between." She flipped the book open and grinned. "Can...I go first?"

_Oh thank god. I don't like being the first to read out loud. And Kate's so cute with the way she acts it out. She'd make a great mom someday._

"Sure!" Brooke smiled at her, clearly thinking the same as Max. Kate clapped happily, then cleared her throat, giving one last glance around to make sure everyone was ready.

" _'Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice,"_ Kate put a hand to her face as if telling a secret,  _"she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English."_ Max perked an eyebrow and turned to her, narrowing her eyes in a brief shimmer of suspicion.  _"'...now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was!"_ Kate flailed herself to the side, giggling as she threw her feet out,  _"'Good-bye, feet!'"_

* * *

Max pranced down the steps from the dorm into the courtyard, inhaling deeply through her nose once she reached the bottom. Even more so than the previous month, spring was ruthless in its defeat of winter, casting the world in rich green and colorful spots of flowers. The bees had been particularly busy, as they constantly hovered around the garden bed that lined the front of the dormitory. Coincidentally, Max had also recently found out that Victoria was very afraid of bees.

She glanced up at the sun, then sighed at the realization that the time for her trusted hoodie had come to an end. She tied her hair into a ponytail, then rolled her sleeves up to her elbows, a little disappointed that this would probably be the last time she wore it. Still, it was a small price to pay for compensation on the surprisingly snowy winter they had gotten. It could've been the photographer in her, but she really liked having each of the seasons reach a degree where they were actually different. The thought of celebrating Christmas in eighty degree weather, for example, always rubbed her the wrong way.

_I suppose I could spare a few minutes for a photo or two..._

Removing her camera from her bag, she lazily wandered forward, searching for a worthy subject. It was somewhat uncommon for there to be no other students around, but the silence provided by their absence was soothing. Finally, a flutter of blue caught her eye, and she turned to find a blue jay perched on one of the lampposts.

"Hello, you," she said quietly, bringing the camera to her face, "do you mind if I take a photo?" She hesitated for a moment, smiling as she awaited permission, then chuckled as she took the photo. As was to be expected, the bird flew off at the sudden sound of the camera. "Oops, sorry. Not a fan of paparazzi, eh?"

_Too famous for me, my bad._

Pleased with her photo, she strolled around the perimeter, humming a tune to herself that Chloe had gotten stuck in her head. Chloe was always in her head in some way, shape, or form. Even though she wasn't particularly fond of the song, that made it more than okay with her. She rounded her way past Samuel's shed, then stopped when she noticed a splotch of red on the hill where the Tobanga once resided. Curious, she made her way to it.

The spot where the statue stood was still barren, a round circle of dirt that had been deprived growth for who knows how many years. Or...it was mostly barren. In the very center of it was a single flower, rich and red in a way that reminded her of blood. She smirked.

_Well, that seems oddly poetic. How have I not noticed this yet? Gotta snag a photo._

Once again aiming the camera, she shifted slightly to the right to achieve a better angle, then snapped the photo. She smiled as the camera dispensed it, gently flicking it to draw out its image. Though, when she looked at it, she was struck by a peculiar thought. She looked back to the actual flower and crept closer, bending down to analyze it.

_What...kind of flower is this? I've never seen one like it before. ...then again, I'm not exactly a botanist. I'll have to look it up later._

Shrugging to herself, she tucked the photo away and pulled out her phone to check the time. Deciding it was the perfect time for food and pestering her girlfriend, she hopped down the hill and made her way to the bus stop.

* * *

As the town went by her, she took note of how much it had grown to feel like home again. She was much less a student who just happened to be away from home and much more a resident of Arcadia Bay. There was something comforting in that. Almost as if, though Chloe had accepted her back, she worried the town never would. That she'd be locked out as merely a visitor for the rest of her life. But instead, it had welcomed her once again. And despite talking about all of the places she and Chloe might live someday, she wasn't sure any of them were quite as appealing.

The bus rolled to a stop just outside of The Two Whales, and she removed her headphones as she stood up. Before stepping off, she turned to thank the bus driver and thought for a moment about how strange it had been to see David in that position. She wondered, what would this person have been doing in that timeline? Would they still be a driver that just worked different shifts or would they be doing something else entirely? It was still hard to grasp just how much she could alter with just one change. She still didn't like thinking about it very much.

Once off the bus, she started heading toward the diner, then stopped and looked at Frank's RV. It had been a couple of days since she'd seen him, and in a town the size of Arcadia Bay, it was almost difficult to pull that off. Deciding she could spare a few minutes, she went over and knocked on his door. She smiled when Pompidou's bark could be heard through the open windows.

"Oh, hey Max," he said, stepping out of the RV and closing the door behind him. He looked her up and down. "Cool hair." Max pouted, not even hearing the compliment.

_Whaaaat?_

"I don't get to say hi?" she asked, crossing her arms. Frank snickered and shook his head.

"He's supposed to be eating," he said, "I'm trying to keep him on a meal schedule. He's getting to be a little porky."

"That just means there's more to hug," Max argued, then giggled as she relented. "Okay, fair enough. I figured I'd just say hey before I go in to bother Chloe."

"Have you ever  _actually_ bothered her?" he asked with a laugh. Her eyes rolled in an arc as she thought it over.

"I'm sure I must have," she said, "I poke her a lot. That's probably annoying." She prodded him in the stomach for demonstration.

_Maybe I do that too much. Hm._

"Sure, sure," he said, smiling as he glanced at the building. "Well, how are you doing?"

"I'm good!" Max held her arms out. "The weather is lovely."

"It's nice," Frank agreed, "I've been wanting to take Pompidou to the park. Let him run around a little bit."

_Aw, I can just see him running around like a little free spirit. Eating dandelions and then gagging on 'em. So cute._

"That'd be cool," Max said, "I'm sure he'd love that." She arched an eyebrow at him. Something seemed different. "Aaand how are you?"

"Alright," he chuckled, "I actually just got off the phone with my mother." He rubbed the back of his next in a somewhat guilty manner. "I don't...talk to her a whole lot. I haven't even seen her since I stayed with her after Rachel's funeral, so I had a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh?" Max regarded him curiously. "How'd it go?"

"Really well," he said, "I told her about the job and everything. She said she's proud of me." He laughed disbelievingly. "She's always been a good mom, but she hasn't used that word since I was a kid. It felt good to hear it again."

_That's what's different. You're...giddy._

"Dude, that's awesome!" Max whacked him on the arm. "I'm so happy to hear that."

"Yeah," he said, "it feels like things are finally coming together. God knows how long I've waited..."

"I know," Max said, "but it's here now. Your patience and hard work have paid off!" She smiled. "Seriously, Frank. I'm really happy we're friends. You're a good guy."

"Thanks..." he replied, looking at the ground sheepishly, "I'm happy we're friends too. You two have made all the difference." He turned his head when Pompidou let out several shrill barks, and he laughed. "I should get back in there. Let me know whenever you want to hang out, alright?"

"Always," Max responded, giving him another affectionate punch on the arm.

Once he'd gone back inside, she started back toward the diner, then stopped at the fisherman who was sitting at his table. He'd been gone all winter, and this was the first time she'd seen him back at it. This time, though, the table lacked the pamphlets about the waning sea life and instead had bait and bobbers on display for sale, along with a two bushels teeming with crabs.

_Dang, I could so go for that._

"Woah, big haul, huh?" she asked, peering into one of the bushels.

"You're tellin' me," he said, "I've never seen it so lively out there." He shook his head. "The sea's acting out of schedule. She must be making up for the drought we've been having. It doesn't make a lick of sense."

_Out of schedule? Pfft._

"What do you mean?" Max asked, picking up one of the fake, rubbery worms and jiggling it.

"I mean these fellas are way out of season," he said, gesturing to the crabs, "usually, you have to wait until fall for anything decent, and even then the output is  _never_  this good. It's completely backwards."

"Really?" Max cocked her head inquisitively, setting the worm back down. "That's...pretty crazy. Any idea why?"

_Did you lose your way somewhere, little crabs?_

"Not a clue," he replied, "never seen anything like it in my life." He shrugged, then leaned back in his chair with a dreamy smile. "I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, though. Whatever it is, it's good for me. Gives me hope, too." He took a quick glance at the RV. "Hey," he said more quietly, leaning forward again, "you know Bowers?"

"Huh?" Max mimicked his glance. "Oh! Yeah, we're friends."

"You are?" the fisherman asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he's cool," Max said, just waiting to build her case.

_Hopefully someday that won't seem so crazy._

"I've noticed he seems to be more..." the fisherman closed one eye as he pondered, "put together, recently. I gotta say, it's heartwarming." He bared his somewhat yellow teeth in a smile. "Nice to see everyone can turn it around if given the chance."

"Definitely," Max agreed, "sometimes that's all people need."

* * *

"Here ya go, sweetness," Chloe said, setting the plate of pancakes in front of Max. She slid into the other side of the booth and rested her elbows on the table, propping up her head in her hands. "So, how did book club go?"

"It was chill," Max replied, cutting into the food, "I actually didn't mind reading out loud."

"Hey, there you go," Chloe said proudly, "you're getting even better at kicking that shyness' ass. There's hardly any left in you."

"I blame you," Max snickered, "ruining my brand. Just an awful influence."

"Right, says the one who's turned me from anarchist to puppy dog romantic," Chloe said, "I think we've both taken a hit on our original style."

_The towels stained pink would have to agree with you._

"You're still rebellious," Max corrected, taking a bite of the pancake, "you think I don't see you when you sneak your little fingers into the bag and eat the grapes at the grocery store?"

"Fuck, you caught me," Chloe laughed, "get out the handcuffs." Max perked an eyebrow and Chloe smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "Did not mean it that way."

_Uh huh._

"Make a memo," Max giggled, giving her a wink, "we can revisit that locale later."

"Ooh la la," Chloe said, her eyes shining impishly. She stood up and leaned across the table, opening her mouth so Max could place some food into it. "Anyway," Chloe chewed, "what do you want to get up to after work? It's nice as fuck. We could do an outside activity."

"That actually sounds good!" Max thought for a moment. "What about...we explore the woods? Like when we were kids?"

_I've really been wanting to do that again._

"That sounds...really fucking cool," Chloe responded, her fingers drumming excitedly on the table. "Maybe we can, I dunno, find some treasure or something?"

"Like pirates?" Max asked, her eyes falling half-lidded as she looked back sweetly.

"Yeah," Chloe nodded with a big grin, "like pirates. Captain Bluebeard makes her fabulous return."

_Oh, how I've missed her._

"Alright, cutie," Max chuckled, reaching across the table and stroking Chloe's hand, "when do you get off?"

"Soon!" Chloe hung out of the booth and checked behind her, then got to her feet. "Sec, gotta check on the customer."

"I'll miss you!" Max reached out for her dramatically, putting the back of her other hand against her forehead. Chloe simply laughed and scurried away.

Max took a sip of her coffee, then leaned against the wall as she stared through the window. She focused on the lighthouse and smiled, once again thankful that it was able to guide more than just ships home. The memory of when she first convinced Chloe she could time travel surfaced in her mind, and she exhaled a small laugh through her nose.

" _Maybe you made a move on me and I would never know..." Christ, I really **was** dense._

Chloe went by Max and around the counter, disappearing into the backroom for only a moment. As she came back out, the bell above the diner door jingled and she smiled, though it seemed a little confused. She raised a hand in a wave, and before Max could move over to see, Victoria was falling into the seat across from her. She immediately threw her head back against it, paying no mind to the thud of it hitting solid wood.

_Woah, what's all that about?_

"Uh, hey Vic," Max said, "are you...okay?" She felt several soft pats on her shoulder, and she scootched over so Chloe could sit beside her. Victoria sighed and slowly rolled her head forward to look at them.

"Yeah? I'm okay, just...drained," she answered. Max and Chloe exchanged a concerned look.

"O...kay," Chloe said, "do you need me to grab you anything? Coffee?"

"Actually, yeah, that'd be cool," Victoria responded. Chloe nodded and sprung from the seat, hurrying over to get a mug and the coffee pot.

"What's up?" Max asked, "you seem really distressed. Did...something happen with Kate?"

_No way things went that south in that small amount of time._

"What?" Victoria's brows knitted together. "No! No, Kate and I are fine. She's how I knew you were here. No, we're great." Chloe was back at the table, pouring coffee into a mug. "Thanks, Chloe."

"Alright," Chloe said, returning after quickly ditching the coffee pot. She sat down next to Max again and moved her head side to side to get a read on Victoria. "What's the deal?"

"So...okay," Victoria sighed again, "I don't know if you guys are going to be mad at me or something."

"Probably not?" Max shrugged. "Unless you did something awful, I guess."

"You might think so..." she took a deep breath, "I went to visit Nathan."

_Holy shit, what?_

"You did  _what?_ " Chloe asked, then quickly followed it up with, "does Kate know?"

"Yes, she knows," Victoria said. "We talked about it for like...three hours. I just..." She winced. "I just needed to see him one last time."

_I guess before school's over...?_

"Okay..." Max said, glancing to gauge Chloe's reaction, "can I ask why?"

"I don't know," she responded, "just... He was important to me, you know? And honestly, I wanted to be like her."

"Who?" Chloe asked, her tone still tiptoeing along interrogative.

"Kate," Victoria said, flailing her hand. "She has forgiven...so many people. She forgave me. She forgave Tay and Courtney. Frank... She just...she forgives and forgives and fucking forgives. And she's so strong for doing so.  _I_  wanted to do that." She shook her head, making a sound of disgust as she wiped her eyes. "I wanted to forgive the person who hurt me the most."

"Oh...Vic," Max said, hanging her head.

_I totally understand now. Kate has really made a difference for you._

"Alright, alright," Chloe said, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples, "I...I can respect that. Honestly." She looked her up and down, then frowned. "Did it not go well?"

"It went...okay?" Victoria said, pausing to drink her coffee. "I don't know, he was so...out of it. At first, anyway. I guess maybe whatever medication he's on. He wasn't like, a zombie or anything, but just extremely...docile?" She scrunched her lips to the side. "But he actually seemed really happy to see me. He smiled. And we talked a little bit."

"How's he doing?" Max asked.

_After all this time, I do feel the tiniest bit of sympathy for him. Especially after meeting his dad._

"He seems like he's doing okay," Victoria said. "He said he was sorry, and I really think he meant it. It was just...sad." She leaned forward and placed her head in her hands. "It just reminded me of how crazy everything got."

"I know," Max replied sadly. A clang of metal drew her attention away, and she looked to see the grouchy trucker she'd learned to recognize as a permanent fixture of the diner get off his stool and bend over to collect his fork. A barely audible noise of irritation came from Chloe beside her. She glanced back to Victoria, and smiled as the girl was tugging open a sugar packet in a much more familiar expression of annoyance.

"Oh, fucking thanks," the trucker swore loud enough to hear as the fisherman Max had spoken to accidentally kicked the fork, sending it further away.

"Sorry, Jim," he said quickly, then continued on into the bathroom.

"Yeah, sorry, sure," the trucker said, finally sitting back down.

_Man, that guy is just...the worst. So freaking grumpy._

"Fuckin' douches, man," Chloe said quietly. She turned back to Victoria. "Anyway, yeah. It got crazy," she swirled a finger through the air, "he shot me." Victoria glared at her, then her shoulders fell slack.

"Yeah," she said, "I'm sorry..." She shook her head. "But that was the weird part. I was able to talk to him and we got to the part in the conversation where I could...'forgive' him." She used air quotes on the word 'forgive.' "But then he asked me how I was doing. I told him I was with Kate and that you two were my best friends..."

Max listened intently, though something snagged her attention outside. She leaned over just enough to not be in Chloe's lap and watched the fisherman hold something up in the sunlight, looking it over with satisfaction. She began to feel uneasy.

_Wait, that's...weird..._

"And when I told him that, he got all...crazed," Victoria said, her eyes growing big as she tensed her hands like claws, "he completely snapped out of his sedation..."

Max glanced away from Victoria again, staring at the fisherman outside. The hairs along her neck and arms stood up.

_Something's wrong._

Then, to her horror, the fisherman came out of the bathroom and stopped, glancing up at the television as he wiped his hands with a paper towel. She blinked, gulping as she tried to make sense of it. He was outside  _and_  inside. The same person. And nobody seemed to notice.

"...he started ranting about all of this crazy shit," Victoria continued. Max slowly turned to her, her eyes pried open with fear and breath caught in her throat. "He just..." Victoria's expression turned into one of incomprehension, "he kept going on and on about some kind of...storm?"

Max was yanked down into the abyss of her mind, swirling end over end as her head lit up with pain she hadn't felt in months. It pulsed, clawing at her skull and she fell forward onto the table, clutching her head in agony. Somewhere, far off in the distance, she could hear Victoria shouting, saying that her nose was bleeding. Then she could hear the echo of Chloe's panicked swearing. She might have felt something on her, a pair of hands grasping around her or shaking her. But she was stuck, observing only the darkness of her own head.

And then she heard a voice.

"It's really not hard, Max," it said, coming from everywhere at once. "You created infinite, unstable timelines that are chaotically tangling through existence. Eventually, they'll crash. Then...collapse." A bitter laugh scraped at her mind. "And uh, that won't be pretty. Eventually, all running water reaches the ocean..."

The pain grew more vibrant, stabbing its roots into her and twisting her stomach into nauseousness. The taste of blood was finally noticeable as it filled up her mouth. She could still hear Chloe, but her voice was now nothing but screams beating against Max's eardrums, begging to be acknowledged.

"You don't understand anything!" the voice said. "Stop pretending like you do! I mean, fuck,  _you_ still think that the storm was-"

Something shifted in the darkness of her thoughts. There was a slow, wavering motion as a figure staggered out of the shadows. It was her. Or...the other her. Several cracks ran through her face and her mouth was coated in bright red blood. She grinned wickedly, showing off her stained teeth.

" **\- your fault."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, gang! We're going to play a little game called How Much Trust Has TomorrowHeart Earned From You Over The Last 340k+ Words. It's a fun one.
> 
> So, I've been waiting two years to finally reach this part of the story. Literally! Ouroboros' second birthday is on the 18th! It's going to get puh-retty crazy, but I'm excited as hell to finally be here. Hopefully you guys might be too!
> 
> Anywho, I'll see you guys in a little bit with the next chapter. Shouldn't be...too long! As always, thanks SO much for reading and you're all beautiful.
> 
> P.S. Shout out to the readers out there who've spotted any continuity errors/increase in characters becoming confused about something for seemingly no real reason! I know I got a few comments about the Tobanga being there in Ch. 58 when it definitely should not have been. Though...still a little surprised no one pointed out that Ms. Waters' name changed from Margaret to Madison. Oh well~


	65. Wrapped In Piano Strings

"He just..." Victoria said, her head slowly moving left in right in confusion, "he kept going on and on about some kind of...storm?"

Beside Chloe, Max sucked in a sharp breath and lurched forward, clutching her head. Before Chloe could even fully understand, Victoria recoiled in shock.

"Oh my god, Max," she said, reaching for the napkin dispenser, "your nose is bleeding!"

"What?" Chloe turned in her seat, grabbing hold of Max and bending forward to try and get a good look at her. "Max? Max!?"

_...no. No._

Max didn't respond. She only continued to hiss in pain. Chloe yanked her upright and grabbed her wrists, roughly pulling her hands away from her head. She then put a hand under Max's jaw, turning her face toward her. A squeak of horror left her throat.

_Fuck. No. No, no, no._

"Max! Max! Are you okay!?" She feverishly wiped the blood away from Max's face with her bare hands. "Fuck! Fuck! Max!"

"Chloe...?" Victoria was still holding out a handful of napkins, though her expression was now uneasy. "It's just a nosebleed..."

_Fuck! Fuck!_

"Max, please say something," Chloe begged, swiping her thumb under her nose once again. Her hands were now almost completely coated in blood. From the corner of her eye, she could see figures moving to their table and turned to face them.

"Hey, is she okay?" the trucker asked.

_Gotta get you out of here._

"She's  _fine,_ " Chloe said, biting down on the word. She stood up from the booth, pulling Max out with her. She was relieved to see that the girl could still stand, but she remained lost in a daze.

"Wait, where are you going?" Victoria asked, starting to get out of her seat.

"Stay there, Vic," Chloe barked, freezing Victoria, "it's fine."

"What? She's hurt!" Victoria started getting to her feet once more.

"Seriously, do you need us to call someone?" another customer asked.

"It's alright," Chloe said, trying to sound more reassuring. She turned to Victoria. "We'll talk to you later, okay?"

"What the fuck?" Victoria glanced at the people around her, then shook her head. "No! I'm coming with y-"

_Fuck! I can't deal with this right now!_

"Victoria, shut the fuck up," Chloe snarled, backing away to kitchen door. "I  _said_ we'll talk to you later."

"I..." Victoria looked down at the napkins in her hand, then frowned, "did I do something?"

"No, it's fine," Chloe said, shifting her hands to get a better hold of Max, "seriously. I'm sorry. Just please, alright?"

"Uh...alright," Victoria replied, but they were already gone, leaving only a swinging door.

"Pete!" Chloe called, then very quickly planted a kiss on Max's temple. "It's okay baby, it's okay. You're okay," she whispered, then turned back to her boss. "Pete, I need to leave, okay?"

"Woah, woah," he said, hurrying over to them, "what happened?"

"She gets bad nosebleeds sometimes that...uh, with migraines," Chloe said, making an involuntary sound of relief as Max stood upright on her own.

_Oh thank god. You're back. Thank god._

"Chloe?" she asked, turning to look at her. Immediately, she burst into tears, throwing her arms around her.

"Should I call an ambulance?" Pete asked. "Max, do you need medical attention?" Max only shook her head, her face buried in Chloe's chest. His jaw moved in search of words before finally finding them. "Okay... Uh, get her out of here, alright? Your shift's up in ten minutes, I can cover until Janice gets here."

"Thank you so much," she responded, kissing Max's forehead several times, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Chloe," he said, "just keep me updated. Please." Chloe nodded and turned, guiding Max through the backdoor and out into alleyway.

"Sweetie," Chloe said quietly, steering Max around the front of the diner, "are you okay? Please, tell me what happened."

"Something's wrong," Max mumbled, dragging the back of her hand across her face. She looked at the blood and whimpered.

_Yes. I understand that._

"What do you mean?" They reached her truck and Chloe pulled open the passenger door. Instead of getting in, Max spun around and looked across the parking lot. Apparently not seeing what she was looking for, she sobbed and shook her head.

"He's not there!?" She brought her hands to her temples.

"Who?" Chloe asked, hating how aggressively she forced Max into the truck. She stood in front of the door, blocking it in case Max tried to get back out. "Who, Max? What do you mean?"

"The...the fisherman?" Max flailed her hands, crying harder.

_But that asshat Jim was just yelling at him?_

"He...he was inside?" Chloe leaned forward, kissing her on the forehead. "Talk to me, Max."

"I..." Max shook her head, audibly swallowing, "I saw her again. She was there."

"...who?" Chloe asked, though she was fairly certain she knew the answer.

" _Her,_ " Max repeated, "me? The other me!? I don't know! But she...she was there!"

"Max..." Chloe took a deep breath, "come on, okay? Let's get you back to my place." Max didn't answer, instead turning away and pulling her legs up onto the seat to hug her knees.

_There's no fucking way this is happening right now._

Chloe started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot with a screech of tires, the speed causing them to fishtail as they got onto the road.

"What did she say?" Chloe asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

_This can't be happening again._

"She just...just repeated something she said before," Max replied, her voice ghostly and far away. "But she...finished it this time. She said that I still thought the storm was my fault."

_The storm?_

"What?" Chloe shook her head. "What does that even mean?" She growled in frustration. "No. No, it's not real, Max."

"How can you possibly say that?" Max asked, turning to her with a crazed look. "Didn't you hear Victoria!? Nathan knows about the storm!"

_Wait, what? I...I was so focused on other shit and then Max, I guess...I didn't hear that._

"He could have been talking about anything," Chloe responded, her foot pressing down harder on the gas. "It doesn't mean they're connected."

"Chloe..." Max's eyes were pleading, "I saw...two of the same fucking person. The fisherman. He was...in two places at once."

"He was inside," Chloe repeated, "he wasn't in two places."

_This is bad. She's really freaked out._

"Do you..." Max pressed her back against the door and looked Chloe up and down, "do you seriously not believe me?"

"I believe you believe it," Chloe said, "and that's okay, alright? We've done this before. It's okay."

_It's okay. It's okay..._

"I'm not just being crazy, Chloe!" Max shouted, then clamped her eyes shut as she began to cry once again. "I'm not, I swear. Something is really wrong. I think...I think she was r-"

"Max," Chloe said coldly, "she wasn't right. Nothing is happening, okay? We're going to go to my place and rest. You're tired." Her foot grew heavier on the pedal.

"Why are you being this way?" Max asked incredulously. "Why don't you believe me?  _How_ could you not believe me?!"

_Because I don't want to..._

"I'm not trying to like, minimize how you're feeling," Chloe replied, "I'm just saying we need to take a minute and think about this. It's been so long since you've had a nosebleed. But we've dealt with it before. This could all be just some freak coincidence."

"Chloe, I..." Max started, then just closed her eyes as she fell back into the seat, electing not to speak further.

* * *

"Come on," Chloe said, her voice now carrying a far more soothing tone, "we have to get you washed up." She slid the shower door open, then carefully pulled Max's shirt over her head.

_A quick shower will help. That's all she needs._

"Will you stay in here with me?" Max asked.

"Of course," Chloe hugged her and planted a kiss on her temple, "of course. I'll be right here." She helped Max out of the rest of her clothes and turned on the water. She held her hand in it for a moment, then nodded. "It's warm. Get in, okay?"

"Uh huh..." Max stepped into the shower, then pulled the door closed. Chloe sighed, flipping the lid of the toilet seat closed and sat down.

_This is fucked up._

"Did, uh..." Chloe puckered her lips, "did Vic really say Nathan knew about the storm?"

"I  _knew_ you didn't hear her," Max said sharply. "Yes, Chloe. She did."

_Just a coincidence..._

"I still don't think," Chloe looked around the room for aid in formulating her words, "I don't think they're connected. I think maybe just that word sort of stirred it back up, you know?"

"I saw two of the same person," Max responded icily. "You don't believe me, I know. But I know what I saw. Something is  _not_ right."

"I know that," Chloe said, "you being like this isn't right. It's not okay." She tapped her fingers on her knees anxiously. "But...but we already know this whole 'other you' thing is in your head, right? That's how we figured it out last time. We just...we need to..."

"Need to what?" Max asked, jerking open the shower door just enough to stick her head out. "You can't take my virginity twice."

_Oh... That...hurts..._

"Dude..." Chloe shook her head and held up her hands, "that's not cool."

"I'm...I'm sorry," Max said quietly, slinking back behind the door. "I just don't know what the fuck is going on."

"Me either," Chloe said, rubbing her face roughly, "but it's just...it's just another thing, okay? We'll take care of it."

"And your dreams?" Max asked.

"Those are almost over," Chloe replied, "they'll be done soon. Just a few more."

_Oh, the train. Right._

"And the animals...and the Prescotts..." Max continued, ignoring Chloe.

"None of that matters!" Chloe said, "it's just dumb bullshit. Nothing's happening. The fucking world isn't ending." Max snorted and Chloe could see her silhouette shake its head.

"Timelines collapsing, then crashing," she said.

_Fuck, Max. Give me something to work with._

"Argh," Chloe buried her face in her hands, "Max, I'm really trying, okay? I'm trying. But you have to let me fucking try to calm you down." She pulled her hands away and stared at the blood on them, frowning. "Please..." The water abruptly stopped and Max pulled open the door.

"I need you on my side, here," Max said, her gaze harsh but wounded, "if  _you_ aren't going to believe me, then I have nobody. And I  _know_ I can't handle this by myself."

"Max, I would never let you face  _anything_  by yourself," Chloe assured. "You...you know that."

"Please act like it," Max responded, a mixture of pleading bitterness. Chloe grunted and stood up. She took the towel off of the rack and handed it to Max.

_Max, please..._

"I'm sorry, okay?" She glanced at the floor, then back to Max. "I told you I was trying. You have to...let me fumble through this as best I can. I'm not..." she shook her head, "I'm not trying to make this about me, but you don't understand how much seeing you like this hurts."

"I know," Max said, releasing the tension in her shoulders and hanging her head, "I know. I just don't understand what's happening. It was always because of my insecurities before and...I'm not insecure about anything. Not really." Dragging the towel across her back, she finished drying off, then stepped into Chloe's arms. "I just want this to be over," she said, "when will it be over?"

_Not soon enough._

"Soon," Chloe said quietly, "we'll fix you up, I'll be done with my dreams, and then we'll be done. It's that easy."

"You make it sound like you really think it's easy," Max said, wrapping her arms around her.

_It'll be easy. No problem._

"Are you serious?" Chloe asked. "What's  _not_ easy for us? We've conquered fucking everything at this point." Taking hold of Max's hand, she led her out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. "We've got this, okay? Let's get you some clothes."

She dug through her drawers, picking out the most comfortable clothes she could, and handed them to Max. As she got dressed, Chloe felt a buzz in her pocket. She pulled out her phone and huffed.

_Of course._

"Hey," she said, keeping her eyes on Max.

"What's going on? Is she okay?" Victoria asked.

"She's fine," Chloe responded, walking over to her desk and picking up Max's phone. She rolled her eyes when she saw Victoria had called it multiple times. "She's always had this nosebleed problem. Some kind of condition. I was just scared because I forgot about it."

"Are you...sure?" Victoria pressed. "You made a fucking scene, you know? Everyone kept asking me what happened."

_Oh, boo-fuckin'-hoo._

"I'm positive," Chloe reiterated, "she's okay. Here..." She held the phone out for Max.

"Hi Vic," Max said, sighing as she pulled her pants up, "I'm okay. Sorry to scare you."

"It's alright, it was just freaky," Victoria replied. "Are...you guys coming back to Blackwell?"

"Probably not tonight," Chloe said, "we're just going to chill out."

"Ooookay," Victoria said, a disappointed tune in her voice, "just uh, let me know if you need anything, alright?"

"Will do," Chloe replied, "later, Vic."

"Bye guys," she said.

"Well, not as secret as before, huh?" Max flopped face first onto the bed, then groaned. "Fuuuuck."

"No, but it's fine," Chloe said, sitting down on the bed. She scooted until her back was against the wall, then patted her thigh. Max crawled to her and laid down, resting her head in Chloe's lap. "Just a little mental hiccup. We'll have no problem getting over it this time."

"I really, really hope you're right," Max said. Chloe ran her fingers through her hair and she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry for being mean."

"You weren't mean," Chloe chuckled, "you're just freaked out. I understand." She kissed her fingertips, then touched them to Max's lips. "Trust me, it'll take a lot more than that to get a rise out of me."

"Still..." Max slipped a hand over Chloe's knee and pulled, keeping her as close as possible.

"Don't worry about it, babe," Chloe said. "Just get some rest."

Not long after, Max was asleep, purring quietly and still holding on to Chloe. Chloe let her head rest against the wall and she took a deep breath.

_We'll be okay. We'll be okay. We'll be okay..._

* * *

"I double dare you," Chloe said, smiling mischievously, "kiss me now." With no hesitation, Max went onto her tiptoes, put her hands on Chloe's shoulders, and pecked her on the lips. Chloe took hold of Max's waist and tilted her head, coercing the girl's mouth open. As their tongues met, Max jolted in surprise. Chloe backed away and looked at her with horror stretched eyes. "I'm sorry!" she said, her cheeks turning red. "Sorry! I just, uh..." Flustered, she spun around and took a step toward her bed. She stumbled and banged her knee hard on the floor, yelling 'fuck!' as it made impact. Max gasped and held up her hand, pulling Chloe back over to the closet.

A bubbling pond of orange rose up from the floor, disassembling the entire scene.

"I don't wanna die here!" Chloe screamed, yanking at her ankle desperately. "Please, get me outta here!"

Max was panicking, circling around a small building on a hill just off the tracks. Finally, she picked up a crowbar and hurried to the door. The whistle of the train grew louder, sparks shooting off of the tracks as it tried to stop. Max disappeared into the building and Chloe continued to pull on her leg. The train bellowed once more and she turned to it, her eyes growing wide.

"Max!" she screamed again. The train gave one final roar of warning, then it was past the building, speeding down along the tracks until it was no longer in sight and the screech of its brakes faded.

A bubble of orange appeared in the middle of the tracks, then expanded outward until everything was different.

"You'll walk the plank!" Max shouted, wooden sword raised over her head as she chased Chloe through the woods. Chloe laughed in response, skillfully leaping from rock to rock.

"You'll never take me alive!" she responded, "I'm Captain Bluebeard!"

"Okay, who cares!?" Max cut around a tree sharply, appearing in front of Chloe. She pointed her sword at her threateningly. "The whole purpose of this is for you to walk the plank so I guess it doesn't really matter if you just die now."

"Oh yeah," Chloe giggled, "I guess that's true." She shrugged, then leaped off of the rock, tackling Max into a pile of leaves.

"You broke my back!" Max wheezed, flailing her hands and scattering leaves into the air.

"Wait, seriously?" Chloe asked, getting off of her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm..." Max sat up and looked at her, then grew a small smile, "I'm a good actor!" She whacked Chloe on the arm with the sword, then pounced, dragging her back down into the leaves.

There was a bright flash of orange, plucking it all apart. Then Max was on the roof of the dormitories, soaked in the pouring rain. She took a small step toward Kate.

"What about your mother, Kate?" Max asked. "You'll destroy her! She doesn't care about a video! She loves you..."

"You don't know my mother. At all," Kate said angrily. "She already thinks Satan has me on the fast-track to Hell. Let's prove it..."

Max reached out for her, but Kate turned her back. Another second later and she was gone over the edge.

"No!" Max screamed, her voice being drowned out by orange racing over the world.

"Don't you ever tell me what to do!" Frank growled, gripping Max by the throat. "Get it, bitch? Get it?"

"Step the fuck back, now!" Chloe shouted, pointing the gun at him. He let go of Max and back away, but the RV door burst open behind him. Pompidou charged out, barking wildly as he ran toward Chloe. Panicked, she aimed at him and pulled the trigger.

"Pompidou!" Frank shouted. "You fucking killed my dog!" He pulled his gun out and began to aim it, but Chloe was quicker, shooting him in the chest. He fell to the ground, unmoving.

Chloe stared down at the gun in her hand, already looking like she'd begin to cry.

"Oh no..." Max turned to her, "Chloe..."

"I just shot a man and his dog..." she said, her voice hollow, "I killed Frank Bowers..."

The memory was reorganized until Max was sitting in The Dark Room.

She watched as David crept around the corner, instantly ambushed by Jefferson. He smashed David over the head with his tripod, and David crumpled to the floor.

The orange waved back and forth as it bled from the walls, tearing everything down.

"Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass, would they?" Nathan shouted, pinning Chloe against the bathroom wall.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" She pushed him and the gun went off as he stumbled backward, puncturing her stomach. She fell to the floor, bleeding out in seconds.

The aura sank from the ceiling, reworking the world.

"Chloe! Look out!" Max warned, her voice weakening with every syllable.

"What the fuck!?" Chloe spun around, reaching for the gun at her back. A boom rang out and her neck snapped backward, her lifeless eyes staring up into the night sky.

She was gone before she hit the ground, the fluctuating orange wall collapsing in on the area.

"And we're obviously connected since without me you would have never discovered your power, right?" Chloe asked, slowly kicking her feet in the water.

"Absolutely," Max said, resting her chin on her arms, "you make me feel like I know what I'm doing..."

"And you make me feel like I still have a reason for being in Arcadia Bay," Chloe responded, earning a small smile from Max.

"I hope so..." she said.

The water of the pool turned orange, then rose over the sides, overtaking the memory.

"And then...a dolphin here!" Max said, pointing at a spot on the board. Chloe gasped.

"Yes! Like, jumping out of the water under the sunset!" She leaned forward and excitedly picked out a new crayon, then started to draw it. "I think there should be another horse, too. And one of us can be pointing at it like we're going to ride them!"

"Oh man, that'd be so cool!" Max shifted over a little, then began making the second horse. Her hand knocked against Chloe's. "Move your dumb hand."

"What? Move yours!" Chloe giggled, hitting Max back.

"You're gonna make me mess up!" Max complained, then she sighed dreamily. "You think we'll ever be able to see something like this?"

"Yeah, of course," Chloe said as if it were a silly question, "we'll spend like, all of our time at cool places like this when we're older."

"Cool," Max said casually, nodding her head as she was reassured.

Everything shifted around, pieces being moved, removed or added.

"You can just rewind time in your hand and stick that barrel right up Frank's ass!" Chloe laughed as she and Max walked on the rails of the train tracks. "You have the power!"

"You're gross," Max said, then took hold of Chloe's hand, "don't fall!"

They walked down the tracks hand in hand, smiling at each other with increased shyness.

Orange swept Max off the tracks and repositioned Chloe on to them.

"Max!" Chloe screamed, then her voice was pulled under the train.

The world morphed again, rerouting them to the junkyard.

"Okay," Chloe said, a bit of irritation creeping into her voice, "you're too busy to help, so I'm going to kill the car bumper." She pulled the trigger, then almost immediately recoiled, clutching her chest. "Jesus, I shot myself! I shot myself!" She fell to her knees and her head drooped forward. "Back up! Back up!"

Another flash revealed a new scene.

"Chloe..." Max whispered, managing just barely to lift her head off the floor.

"Chloe," Jefferson chuckled, "right. Yeah, I'm sorry that I killed... that  _Nathan_ killed her in self-defense." He slightly repositioned Max, then stood back up. "But she had a troubled history like most Arcadia Bay dropouts." He turned his attention to the camera. "Nobody will be surprised. Or care." He stared back down at Max coldly. "Though, I promise people  _will_ care when you die tonight, Max. I wasn't lying when I said you have a gift." He got down onto one knee. "Okay, now this looks good..." Then he laid on his stomach. "Maybe a few more close-ups..."

Max moved her head just the slightest amount.

"Max, please do not move so much," he said, getting back to his feet. He pointed down at her. "I need you posed and framed  _my_ way! Maybe..." he looked to the side, "a new dose will calm you down..."

"No, no, no..." Max whimpered, wriggling as much as she was able to. Jefferson dragged his cart over to her.

"Now, don't move. Or this will hurt...much," he said, filling the syringe. Max summoned the strength to kick at the cart, sending it rolling backward followed by the sound of glass breaking. "Stupid bitch!" he shouted. "You just don't listen, do you!? In fact, you never did hear much in my class. If you had, you might have seen this all coming." He knelt down again and surveyed Max with something close to admiration. "God damn, you are a fighter, though. I've had my eye on you and I've noticed you've been more...fearless this week than maybe your whole life." He sighed, then loomed over her. "Remember my number one rule... Always. Take. The shot."

Flash.

"Why don't you get off my crack?" Chloe snipped. "Stop taking your war rage out on high school girls!"

"You haven't seen rage, you little-" David began.

"Fuck you, pig," Chloe interrupted, taking a step toward him. He swung at her, whacking her on the cheek with the back of his hand. Max yelped and came to her side.

"I... Listen, you asked for that," he said, "you know exactly what you're doing."

Flash.

"She's never leaving me!" Chloe proclaimed happily.

"That makes all of us," William said, walking out the door.

Flash.

"I'm so proud of you for following your dreams," Chloe said weakly, her eyes already fluttering closed, "don't forget about me."

"Never," Max responded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I love you, Max..." Chloe's head began to fall to the side, "see you soon..."

Flash.

"Max!" Chloe screamed, the train barreling forward without stopping.

Flash.

"He's hiding a gun over there!" Max cried. David took off toward the shelves, but Jefferson grabbed the gun. Before David could overpower him, Jefferson unloaded two bullets into him.

"Sorry, Madsen," Jefferson said as David toppled to the floor. "Okay..." he started walking back to Max, then gave a dizzy chuckle, "deja vu."

Flash.

"After five years, you're still Max Caulfield," Chloe said, glancing at Max before returning her gaze to the road. When there was no response, she looked at her again to find her staring down ashamedly. "Don't give me the guilty face," Chloe moved her arm as if nudging Max, letting a little bit of laughter into her voice, "at least pretend you're glad to see me."

"I am seriously glad to see you," Max replied with a smile. "Oh, and thanks, Chloe. It makes perfect sense I'd see you today."

Flash.

"Max!" Chloe tugged at her ankle. The train didn't stop.

Flash.

"Well, Max," Ryan said, gesturing to the house, "this is our new home."

"It's...big," Max said, looking over it with wide eyes.

"A far cry from Arcadia Bay, that's for sure," he replied.

"Far..." Max said quietly, her lips quirking sadly.

Flash.

"I double dare you. Kiss me now," Chloe said. Max went onto her tiptoes and their lips met, then Chloe stumbled away. "Damn, you're hardcore, Max! Now I can text Warren and tell him he doesn't stand a chance..."

Flash.

"And, um," Max looked around the classroom nervously, "Christopher Columbus was actually wrong. He sailed to America in-instead..."

"Max, you got this!" Chloe yelled, raising her hands. All the other students turned to look at her and she furrowed her brow. "Hey, pay attention to her presentation! She worked really hard on it!"

Flash.

"I double dare you. Kiss me now," Chloe said. Max went onto her tiptoes and clumsily clinked her teeth against Chloe's. She recoiled in embarrassment and quickly held up her hand, reversing the scene once more.

Flash.

"I'll always love you!" Chloe shouted, backing away as the rain soaked through the world. "Now, get out of here, please! Do it before I freak!"

Flash.

"I'm Chloe!" the tiny girl said, grinning brightly at an even smaller Max and revealing a missing front tooth. "Do you want to be friends?"

Flash.

"Get that gun away from me, pscyho!" Chloe shouted, followed by a bang.

Flash.

"What the fuck!?" Chloe spun around.

Bang.

Flash.

"...so I'm just going to kill the car bumper."

Bang.

Flash.

"Max!" Chloe screamed. Just a second later, there was hardly anything left of her.

Flash.

"I love you, Max," Chloe said sleepily, "see you soon..."

Flash.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!"

Flash.

"Rachel...?" Chloe began to cry. "Oh, Rachel, no, no! Please, not her!"

Flash.

"Get that gun away from me, psycho!" Chloe shouted after moving just a hair to the side. The gun went off and this time, she fell differently.

Flash.

"I double dare you..."

Flash.

"What the fuck!?"

Flash.

"No worries," Chloe said, "once you get over yourself, you're going to make the world bow."

"As long as you're there with me..." Max responded.

"Don't look so sad," Chloe said, "I'm never leaving you..."

* * *

Chloe shrieked, toppling over to the side, jolting Max awake. She clutched her head and screamed, her cheeks wet with tears. A red stream ran from one nostril, then the other as she writhed in agony. She jerked to the side and began gagging, hacking up a small burst of blood onto her blankets. Her body convulsed and she fell off of the bed.

"Chloe! Chloe!" Max screamed, jumping off of the bed and hurrying beside her. "Chloe, what's wrong? Did you have a dream?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she rolled onto her back, still holding her hands to her head and continuing to scream. The blood flowed heavily from her nose, running down either side of her face. She coughed, spraying a mist of blood into the air.

"Chloe, oh my god, please!" Max tried to collect her into her arms, but she squirmed away. She beat one fist hard against the floor before bringing it back to her head. Suddenly, a red stream appeared amongst her tears. "Y-your eye!" Max tried once more to hold her.

"Make it stop!" Chloe wailed. "Please, make it stop!" She sobbed. "Stop! Stop, please!"

"Chloe..." Max was crying too, at a loss for what to do. She ignored Chloe's resistance and finally took her in her arms.

"Max, please!" she screamed again. "It hurts! It hurts!"

"I...I don't know what to do!" Max sobbed. Chloe coughed out more blood, then fell limp in her arms. "Chloe?! Chloe, please, stay with me!"

"M-Max..." Chloe's chest was heaving wildly, her face a complete mess of red.

"Chloe, oh my god," Max tugged her up from her lap and hugged her. She kissed her all over, leaving lip marks in the blood. "Are you okay? Please, please, talk to me!"

"I'm..." Chloe cried harder, wrapping her arms around Max in a vice, "I'm s-sorry..."

"What? Why the hell are you apologizing?" Max asked, adding another storm of kisses.

"For...for..." Chloe trembled in her arms, "for everything! For fucking everything!"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Max said, rubbing Chloe's back, "you didn't do anything..."

"Oh my god," Chloe said, "oh my god..."

_I'm so fucking stupid. "I wish I could just get them all over with."_

"Babe...please. What happened? What was the dream?" Max asked, still crying. It was so, so horribly painful to see Chloe this way.

"All of it," Chloe mumbled into Max's shirt, "all of it. Too much. It was too much..."

"What...?" Max tilted Chloe's head up to look into her eyes. "What do you mean 'all of it?'"

"It was too many," she replied, "too many."

_No...no. God, there's too much._

"Chloe, I'm so sorry," Max said, "are you...are you better? Does it still hurt?" Chloe shook her head. "Good, okay, um..." she sighed, kissing her on the head, "now we need to clean you up, okay? There's...there's too much blood." Max's lip quivered as she looked at the floor where a sizable puddle had built up. Chloe nodded, and Max got to her feet, helping Chloe to stand with her.

Supporting Chloe, they made their way back to the bathroom. It felt like it had recently become much more of a 'clean off blood' room. Max set her down on the toilet and turned on the water. She took Chloe's towel off of the bar and dampened it, then went to work on cleaning Chloe's face.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything," Max whispered, lightly scrubbing at the girl's upper lip. "I feel so useless..."

"The train..." Chloe muttered, "the train, the train, the train..." Her eyes tightened shut as she cried again. "I saw the Dark Room again, Max..." Max froze.

"You...did?" she asked.

"Yes," Chloe said, "I saw it again. I saw you all...barely conscious and..." she sobbed, "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

_Why that? Why did it have to be that again?_

"Hey, hey, no," Max said, resuming her cleaning of Chloe's face, "no, we talked about that, okay? It wasn't your fault."

"And Jefferson killing me and...Nathan killing me and  _me_ killing  _Frank_ and Dad leaving and..." Chloe lurched forward and shook with tears. "Too much..."

"It's over, Chloe," Max hushed, "it's over. I'm here, okay?"

"Is it?" Chloe asked. "Why...why the fuck did I see things I already saw? It's never... That's never happened!"

"I...I don't know," Max replied. She rested her forehead against Chloe's. "I don't know. I think...I think something's really wrong, Chloe."

_Please... things can't be wrong again._

"Maybe it was...maybe it was, uh..." she didn't bother to finish the sentence. Suddenly, her eyes went wide and she ripped the towel out of Max's hands. "No..."

"What's wrong? What is it?" Max asked, backing away.

"No, no..." Chloe frantically shook her head, holding it out for Max to see and jostling it in her face. "Max, this is...this is  _not_ my towel!"

_No! She can't be right. She can't be..._

"What are you talking about? It's your pirate to-" Max stopped and stared at it, her brow furrowing. She gulped. "Chloe, your towel is...is green, isn't it?"

"This isn't...this isn't my towel..." Chloe responded, pointing to an unbloodied spot of blue.

"Chloe," Max stood up and slowly shook her head, "I don't...I don't understand what's going on..."

"Max..." Chloe squeaked, her eyes looking past the girl.

Max turned around and stumbled backward. The door to the bathroom was flickering, as if it were only a projection. Slowly, from the bottom of the door, brown began creeping upward, overtaking the white paint. The slats in the door disappeared, replaced by the brown. Once it had reached the top, the flickering stopped, and the door was solid once again.


	66. Something Wicked...

The silence was deafening. Both frozen, Max and Chloe kept their eyes locked on the door to the bathroom. It was different than it had been just a moment before. Brown instead of white. Solid all the way up with no slats in the center. Even the handle was different. It changed right before their eyes. Neither girl dared to move. It was hard to even tell if their chests were rising and falling with breath.

"Max..." Chloe spoke after an endless moment, "what the...hell just happened?" Max didn't respond. She didn't budge. She only kept staring at the door. Chloe slowly got to her feet and came next to Max, looking at the girl with concern. "Why...why is it different now? What happened?"

"Um..." Max swallowed and barely shook her head, "I-I don't know..."

_What the fuck is this?_

"Max," Chloe said again, taking hold of Max's arm, "what is going on?"

"It changed," Max whispered. She took a cautious step forward and placed her hand flat on the door's surface. "Are..." she turned back to Chloe, "are you real? Are you here?"

_Is this actually happening?_

"What?" Clicks came from Chloe's throat as she tried to find more words, then she yanked Max's hand away from the door. "Don't touch it! What do you mean am I real?"

"I mean, is this one of my nightmares?" Max's brow furrowed as she glanced around her. "Is this just in my head?"

_No. Please not this shit again._

"No," Chloe said firmly, turning Max to face her, "I'm here, Max. This is me. It's not a nightmare..." She looked unsure for a moment, then took Max's hand securely in her own. "Not that kind, anyway."

"Chloe," Max frustratedly rubbed at her face, "I don't know what's-"

The sound of a door closing came from below them and Max looked at Chloe with frantic eyes. She touched the handle of the door, then pulled it away quickly as if checking to see if it were hot. She gripped the handle again, taking a deep breath.

"I'm...scared," Max said, wincing as footsteps came up the stairs.

"Of what?" Chloe whispered, following Max's intuition with an afraid look of her own.

_Of everything._

"I don't, uh..." Max closed her eyes, listening to the thumps, "I don't want it to be different out there. I don't..." The footsteps stopped just outside and her breath caught in her throat.

"Girls?" It was Joyce. "You in there?" Max let go of a long, slow sigh and looked at Chloe.

_Oh, thank god._

"Uh, hey Mom, yeah," Chloe said. She nodded to Max, who then opened the door.

"What are you two do-" Joyce gasped. "Chloe! Again?" She rushed in and took the bloody towel out of Chloe's hands, frowning as she looked it over. "Are you okay, sweetie? You have another bad nosebleed?"

_Dammit. This is going to get really complicated if we can't keep this quiet._

"Yeah..." Chloe replied, looking away. Joyce put a hand under her chin and turned her face back toward her.

"What in the world is causing this? You're sure you're okay?" she asked, moving her head left and right as she surveyed Chloe's face.

"I'm...I'm fine, Mom," Chloe said. "I don't know, maybe the air's too dry or something. It's no big deal."

Joyce hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay," she said, then held up the towel, "did your bed get any blood on it? I can run things through the wash if you need." She gave Max a quick smile to suffice as a greeting, then turned her attention back to Chloe.

_This is so fucking bizarre._

"Uh...yeah, probably," Chloe admitted. "I'll grab it for you." She stepped by Joyce out into the hallway, then stopped. "Hey, Mom? What...do you think of the door?"

"The...what?" Joyce asked, glancing at Max in confusion.

"The, um, door," Chloe repeated, lightly rapping her knuckles against it.

"I don't understand, hon." Joyce shook her head. "What about it?"

_She doesn't notice?_

"Ne-nevermind," Chloe said, turning and heading into her room.

"What is that all about?" Joyce asked. Max shrugged, offering up her most clueless smile. "Hm. Maybe the blood loss has just made her a bit loopy." She snickered and elbowed Max playfully.

"Could definitely be," Max said, "and, yanno, she's already pretty loopy to begin with."

_I forgot how good I got at acting like things were normal._

"That's for sure," Joyce snirked. She sighed and looked at the towel. "Poor thing, must be so startling to wake up with a bloody nose."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Max responded quietly.

_Startling isn't even in the top ten descriptors, I don't think._

"Here," Chloe said, returning with a blanket in her arms, "sorry."

"Don't apologize," Joyce said, "it's not your fault."

_Might be mine._

"Right, I dunno, it's just gross," Chloe said, swinging her arms lazily at her side.

"I used to change your diapers," Joyce chuckled, walking through the doorway, "I can handle it." She stopped halfway down the stairs and turned around. "Are you two hungry?"

"Uh..." Max looked at Chloe, hoping for a 'no' since her stomach was in no condition to host food. Reading her mind, Chloe shook her head. "No thanks, Joyce. Had a big breakfast."

_I think I'd get sick before it even reached my stomach._

"Alright," she said, "let me know if you change your mind!"

Before she'd even reached the bottom of the steps, Chloe pulled Max into her room and closed the door. She went over to her desk and put a cigarette between her lips, her hands trembling as she did so. Max glanced around the room, searching for any signs that something had changed.

_Is everything normal?_

"Okay, so..." Chloe said, expelling a plume of smoke, "she doesn't think anything's wrong with the door. She doesn't...fucking notice?"

"I guess not," Max muttered. "This is...fucked."

"Uh, yeah," Chloe laughed desperately. She took another long drag of the cigarette, then her eyes went wide. Snatching her phone off the desk, she started scrolling through it. "I'm checking to make sure everything else is the same."

"Oh, that's a good idea," Max said, grabbing hers to do the same. She sat on the bed, her lips shifting left and right as she read through her text messages.

_Looks like everything's fine here._

"I'm good," Chloe said, taking a spot on the bed. She rested her back on the wall just as she did before she fell asleep.

"Me too." Max turned to look at her and shook her head. "I'm at a total fucking loss."

"Yeah," Chloe said. She jabbed the cigarette into the ashtray and leaned to the side, setting it on the floor. "Max, can you..." she reached out for her and Max nodded, crawling into her embrace. "Thanks," she mumbled, holding her close.

"We need to figure out what's going on," Max whispered. "First, the guy in the Two Whales, then your towel. And then the fucking door... I mean, right in front of us."

_Nothing like this happened back then._

"It kind of sounds like we know what's going on," Chloe replied, nuzzling her cheek against Max's. The way she did it sent a dull ache through Max's heart. It wasn't out of affection. It was fear. The desperate need to be comforted.

"But...what does that mean?" Max asked. "If things are, I don't know, colliding or whatever? What does it mean if the storm  _wasn't_ my fault?"

_How could that be true?_

"Maybe," Chloe was silent for a beat, "maybe it was mine?" She shrugged, sniffling as she held Max even tighter.

"No," Max responded without hesitation, "that doesn't make sense. How could it even be your fault?" She grumbled and buried her face in the crook of Chloe's neck. "And I don't understand what that has to do with anything, anyway. Why would it matter? What does it have to do with what's going on now?"

_How do the two things connect? What caused the storm? Was it just...natural? But then why would it disappear? Wait... Oh. Oh._

"Babe?" Max leaned back in Chloe's lap. "What if Nathan really  _does_ know something about the storm?"

"I mean, that sounds like such a reach..." She stopped and her eyes began darting in different directions as she thought. "One of my dreams, where things were all spliced together... It was just  _filled_ with Prescott shit."

"And..." Max narrowed her eyes, "and Sean could see the doe." She shook her head. "Wait, what about Samuel? He knew about it too. Or, the...squirrels did?"

_Those two couldn't be further apart..._

"How could either of them  _cause_ the storm, though?" Chloe asked. Her head snapped in realization. "Why the  _fuck_ did Prescott have all those bunkers built?"

"Holy shit, I didn't even think about that..." Max ran her hands through her hair. "What the fuck. What the fuck. Okay, okay... So we kn-" Her voice caught in her throat and her eyes strayed to the side. Chloe followed her gaze and squeaked in horror.

There was something off about the American flag hanging over Chloe's window. A patch in the very center was moving independently of the rest of the flag, rippling like water. The distortion became more hectic before finally bursting outward in a flash, covering the entirety of a flag. It couldn't have been more than a fraction of a second, and then Max found herself staring at a rainbow flag.

_No fucking way._

"Heh...heheh..." Chloe's eyes were pried open, sparks of panic skittering through them, though she was smiling, "...hehehehahaHAHAHAHA!"

_What the hell?_

"Chlo?" Max cupped her cheeks and looked her over. "Chloe?"

"A...a fucking rainbow flag," Chloe sputtered, still laughing. "I mean...I mean,, that's just fucking funny!" She howled in laughter. "Holy fuck! That's just like, so perfect. I think I like that better, even!" She was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her cheeks. Or, that's how it seemed until the laugh collapsed into a horrible sob. She shook her head as she cried. "I'm so scared."

"I know," Max said quietly, wrapping her arms around Chloe. "I know. I am too..." She glanced back at the flag and gasped. "Chloe, look."

A similar bundle-of-something-wrong was gyrating in the center of the flag, and in another moment, it was back to its original state of red, white, and blue.

_It changed back..._

"Cool," Chloe said dryly, "I hope that happens with my towel." She sniffled and released a heavy gust of breath. "Jesus Christ, what the fuck is going on?" Without answering, Max stood up and went over to Chloe's desk, bringing the girl's laptop back to the bed. "What are you doing?"

_Answers. Need answers._

"Googling," Max replied. "Googling...the Prescotts and their fucking bunkers. Parallel universes. Anything. We need something to go on here."

"Okay..." Chloe said. "I already tried looking for parallel universe stuff and didn't really find anything. When, uh, I dreamt about my dad."

"I'm going to try again." Max pressed down on the keys hard. "I'll search through every page if I have to."

"Okay," Chloe said again, resting her head on Max's shoulder.

They spent the rest of the day like that, bundled together on the bed as their eyes stung from the laptop screen. Joyce interrupted a few times, but they were quick to get rid of her. The only time Max took a break was to talk to Kate on the phone, who had of course been filled in on everything by Victoria. Hours fell away until it was just after 2AM. Still, they hadn't found anything. Not a single, useful bit of information. On time travel. On alternate realities. Not even on the Prescotts bunkers.

"I'm thirsty," Max finally said, handing the laptop over to Chloe. "I'll bring something up for us, okay?"

"Sure baby," Chloe responded. "Uh, hey. Hurry back before my laptop turns into a tarantula or something."

_God, I need that joke so badly._

"Yeah," Max snickered, happy to find it was genuine, "I'll be right back."

* * *

Max opened the fridge and bent down, peering inside of it. Though water seemed the obvious choice, she expected they both had a long night ahead of them even more than they'd already stretched it and wondered if something with caffeine would be more appropriate. Deciding hydration was more important for the moment, she snatched a bottle of water and closed the door with a sigh. As she turned around, her eyes went wide. Everything was just  _slightly_ different. It was all rearranged. But...in a way that seemed familiar. The dining room table was turned the other way. The couch was facing the garage rather than the backyard. The large, flat screen TV was gone, replaced by a smaller CRT. She took a few steps out into the room, an uneasy feeling spiraling in her stomach.

Then, the door to the garage cracked opened halfway, releasing a soft glow into the darkness. Swallowing her nerve, she went over to it and pushed it the rest of the way open, hanging her head when her fears were confirmed. It wasn't the garage. It was Chloe's bedroom. The Chloe from the other reality. The bed, all done up to account for Chloe's needs, was empty. The room was eerily silent, except for... She turned her attention to the TV, where Blade Runner's sound effects oozed from the speakers. She began to cry.

_No, no, no... This can't be happening..._

Suddenly, the screen was overtaken by static; a flurry of white, gray and black splotches dancing around to a crackling tune. She leaned in closer to the TV and frowned, reaching for the power button. Just as her finger made contact, the static parted like a stage curtain, and she found herself staring at her own reflection. Though, its hair was shorter, devoid of any pink. There was no piercing. No bullet necklace. No tired eyes. Max swallowed and waved her hand slowly, the image in the TV mimicking the action. Then it smirked.

"So," the reflection said, the smile growing wider, "do...you think Deckard is a replicant?"

"It...really is you," Max said quietly, her eyes closing for just a moment as she shook her head.

"You don't sound very happy to see me," the other Max pouted. "C'mon, didn't you miss me? Just a little?"

"No..." Max replied, "I...I thought you were gone."

"Me? Gone?" she chuckled as though humoring a child. "Nope, just the opposite. I'm everywhere."

"Why...are you back?" Max asked in a whisper, "why now?"

"Oh, I had this whole other thing I was wrapped up in," Nightmare Max said with a roll of her eyes. She snickered and waved a dismissive hand. "Nevermind, you don't get the joke. Truthfully, after Chloe took that hit for you and ruined my stride, I've just been...waiting. Waiting for you to finally see."

"Your warning..." Max sat down on the edge of Chloe's bed, "you were actually telling the truth, weren't you?"

"What? About that whole 'everything's gonna fall apart' thing?" she asked. "I'm not a liar, Max."

"Then... _what_ are you?" Max glanced around the room, turning back to her doppelganger before she could be overcome with more tears.

_God. She had to pick here. Why did-_

"Hey, no need for inside voices," Nightmare Max said softly, earning a look of defeat from Max. She rested her arms on the bottom of the TV screen as if it were an open window. "Anyway, I'm you. I thought that much was obvious, right?"

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Max asked. "Things are...not right. Please, if you can somehow explain this..."

"Mmn..." the other Max puckered her lips and thought for a moment, though it was clearly for the sake of making Max squirm, "let's go with what you know. Here, I'll make a diagram." She leaned back, gripping onto something near the bottom of the screen, then hoisted herself up and out of the television. Startled, Max scooted backward on the bed. Nightmare Max flicked a finger against the screen, showing that it was solid once again. It turned completely white, still continuing to give off a faint glow. "Hand me that?" she asked, gesturing to Max.

"What are you...?" Max clapped a hand to her thigh, suddenly feeling something in her pocket. She pulled out a marker and shook her head. "Why can't you just...tell me like a normal person? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm helping!" Nightmare Max said gleefully, tearing the marker out of her hand. She bit the cap off and spit it onto the floor, then started to draw on the whiteboard. "Kay, so..." she drew the letter 'A' and then circled it, "this is where you are. Imagine one of those mall maps – 'you are here!' This, is timeline A." She stepped back and looked at Max, pleased when she received a dreadful nod in understanding, then drew a straight line down from the A bubble. "Like I said before, you used to just rewrite the same timeline over and over and over. But..." she held up an index finger, "you and your dear, sweet Chloe went smash, smash, smash!" She simulated hitting the board with a hammer.

"But  _how?_ " Max asked,"what did we do?"

"Please save all questions for after the lecture," the other Max chided. "At any rate, in this timeline here, Chloe's little pirate towel is green." She wrote the word 'green' underneath it, the ink changing color to correspond to the word. "But since ya broke everything, there's other timelines, right?" She wrote the letter 'B' and then circled that one as well. "You're familiar with the whole parallel universes accounting for every possibility, blah, blah, blah. So here, in timeline B, Chloe's towel is buh-loo!" She wrote the word 'blue' beneath it, and the marker ink once again changed to match the word.

"That doesn't make sense," Max said. "Why would that be any different? I had nothing to do with that."

"You're thinking too small," Nightmare Max responded. "This isn't just about your influence. As for why it's blue instead of green..." She clicked her tongue, then shrugged. "I don't fuckin' know. Maybe green was sold out in that timeline. Let's not...dwell on that sort of thing, or we'll be here for... I mean, literally forever. It's already sad enough that this is the example we're working with."

"Okay, fine," Max agreed, "go on."

"Soooo..." the other Max drew a squiggly line from B, "this one, man, it is  _not_ stable. It's just twisting, spinning... Dancing!" She gave a joyous shake of her hips, "through existence. But, you know, sometimes this one bumps into A." She dragged the squiggle across the line of A, then weaved it back over. "They overlap. Maybe for just a moment. And then, ta-da, Chloe's towel changes color!"

"I still don't..." Max buried her face in her hands, releasing a quiet gasp of tears.

"Hey, hey," Nightmare Max said soothingly. She placed a hand on Max's shoulder, ignoring the girl's jerk away from her touch. "Let's take five, huh? Give you some time to collect your thoughts. I know it's a lot to take in."

"Are...are you being nice?" Max asked, perking an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I understand how crazy this must all be," she said. "Look, I'll be right back. You just take a sec to breathe and try to calm down." She trotted over to the door and gave a smile, then disappeared behind it.

"What the...fuck?" Max questioned aloud, refusing to be called out on using inner monologue for a third time. She sighed and covered her face again. "What am I supposed to do about this? What's going on?"

"C-Chloe...?" A voice said, and Max jerked upright. The room was suddenly bright, the sun shining serenely outside. Max gulped as she stared at William, a look of horror on his face. He took a slow step toward her, then past her. Max sucked in a sharp breath and robotically turned her head, yelping when she saw Chloe in the bed. Her eyes were closed, her head drooped to the side.

"What the fuck?" Max asked again, this time much more panicked. "No. No fucking way are we doing this."

"Chloe!" William bent over, cupping Chloe's cheeks. "Chloe, sweetie, are you okay? Please, wake up. Please! Chloe!" He sobbed and turned to the machine, his breath catching in his throat when he saw the dials had been tampered with. "Max..." he glared at her, "what happened?"

"William..." Max said, then she shook her head, "this isn't fucking real! I'm not doing this!" William lunged toward her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Max, what did you do?" he asked, his voice becoming quite loud. "What did you do, Max!?"

"Fuck!" Max shouted, tearing herself out of William's grip. "Where are you!?" She glanced wildly around the room. "Stop this right now!"

"Max," William wailed, "did you change the dial on her machine? Please, tell me you didn't!" Max spun away from him and covered her ears.

"Enough!" Max screamed, "enough!"

"Max!" William tore her hands away from her ears. "Max, stay.  **STILL!** " Her eyes snapped open. That...wasn't William's voice. "I need you posed and framed, my way!"

"No..." Max turned to Jefferson, audibly gulping, "no, no, no."

"If you wanted to be like me so badly," he growled, tugging at her wrists, "you could have just told me!" He laughed in a way that shook with lust. "Ohh, you're a natural!" He nodded at Chloe, overdosed in her bed.

"STOP!" Max fought to escape his hold. "Stop this!" Jefferson let go of her wrists, roughly flinging them back at her, and pulled a gun from behind him. He turned and aimed it at Chloe. "Stop!"

"What the fuck!?" Chloe sat forward, then immediately crashed back into the bed as the bullet smashed through her skull. Max screamed again, then pounced at Jefferson, swinging at him frantically as she cried. She managed to claw him across the cheek, and he vanished into thin air. She stumbled forward, carried by the momentum of her swing. She immediately turned to Chloe, who was now also nowhere to be found. The sun outside faded, coating the room in darkness once more.

The door to the bedroom opened back up and Nightmare Max strolled in, taking a chomp out of an apple.

"Hey," she said, "did I miss anything?"

"You bitch!" Max huddled in on herself, crying hard, "you fucking monster..."

"Yeah, yeah," she responded, dropping the apple onto the floor, "I'm sure that's going to upset a lot of people. But I mean, hey, what can ya do?" She leaned to the side, looking Max up and down. "You ready to continue the lesson, killer?"

"Don't...call me that," Max spat, looking back at her copy with a dark gaze.

"Noted," Nightmare Max said. She took a step toward Max and reached for her ear, removing her hand to reveal she was holding the marker. "Heh, look. Magic."

"When..." Max sniffled, her blue eyes overflowing with hatred, "when are you going to let me out of here?"

"When class is over," the other Max replied. She cleared her throat and went back to the whiteboard. "Alllrighty, so..." She drew two circles above the B circle, placing a '1' in one of them and a '2' in the other. "Here ya go, so in this one," she tapped the 1 bubble, "you didn't give Chloe the juice. In 2, you did. Alive, dead. Still totes unable to walk in either."

"When are you going to let me leave?" Max repeated.

"Already answered that...?" Nightmare Max said with a perked eyebrow. "Anyway, my point here is that each of those possibilities exist in their own universe. But, actually, each of those also have their very own towel conundrum. And, actually, what's the most obvious thing about colors?" Max simply glared back at her. An invisible force yanked her hand straight up into the air. "Ah, yes, glad to see you participating, Max!"

"God, fuck you," she said.

"...close," the other Max said, nodding slowly. "No, the most notable thing about colors is that there are lots of them! Which means..." She wrote 'C,' 'D,' 'E', and then pouted. "Letters were a poor choice. Nowhere near enough of them."

"I...I get it, okay?" Max looked down at the floor. "I fucking understand. Please, just let me go."

"Do you, though?" Nightmare Max asked. "Do you understand what this  _means_ for you?"

"I don't..." Max sighed and flailed her hands, "what? Arcadia Bay is going to get destroyed? Are we playing that game again?" The other Max let out a sharp 'ha!'

"No, no, no," she said, smiling wide. "Watch closely, eh?" She turned back to the board and began chaotically drawing more circles. More and more and more. She drew lines from each, stitching them over and under each other, creating an unintelligible mess. The ink of the marker had turned dark red, and it was flowing down the board in streaks. It ran off the board, cascading onto the floor.

Suddenly, the walls began rapidly flickering through different colors. The window to the side of the room phased in and out, morphing into different styles. Photos on the wall flashed through different images. Even Max's clothes were changing on her body.

"Enough, okay!?" she screamed.

"Here's the thing," Nightmare Max said, gesturing to the board with both hands as if presenting a prize, then she pointed at the A bubble again. "It's only going to get worse. It's just going to keep going and going and going. Let me ask you this..." She stepped close to Max and bent down, her eyes filthily prodding into Max's. "If every possibility is true all at once, squeezed into one teensy, tiny timeline then..." she bared her teeth in a predatory manner, "is that really any different than none of them existing?" She glanced behind her and stepped back, revealing the television had reverted back to its original form. One of the final scenes of Blade Runner was playing, and a man was sitting down in the pouring rain.

" _...all those moments...will be lost in time."_ the man said,  _"like tears...in rain..."_

A massive crack ran down the center of the television, breaking it in two. Then, cracks started branching out along the walls. A huge chunk of the ceiling fell to the floor, crumbling on impact. The ground beneath Max began to quake, jostling her around on the bed. She gripped the sides, holding on tightly. One of the walls detached from the room, falling away into blackness.

"You asked if Arcadia Bay was going to get destroyed," the other Max said, staring off into the void. "Once again, you're thinking far too small. No, this is the end of...everything." She turned back to Max and grinned again, the corners of her lips reaching higher than should be possible. "Now  _this,_ " she shouted giddily, "this is a  _real_ End of the World Party!"

A bell, identical to the one that signaled the end of her classes, loudly thrashed through the room.

"Ah, looks like that's all the time we have for today! How's that for some flavorful exposition!?" Nightmare Max clapped her hands. "Now, go on, shoo! Get yourself back to Chloe. I'll see ya again real, real soon!"

* * *

"Max!" Chloe shouted, shaking her violently. Max's eyes fluttered open, her vision focusing in on Chloe's worried expression. She moved her tongue around her mouth, unsurprised to find the taste of iron. "Oh Jesus fucking Christ," she hissed, hugging her tightly. "Are you okay? What the fuck happened?"

_I hate her._

"I had another one of my...things," she said numbly. She looked over Chloe's shoulder, realizing they were in the garage. "Fuck..."

"You were gone for a long time. I came down to check on you," Chloe whispered, placing a flurry of kisses along Max's head. "You had a fucked up PTSD nightmare?"

"I don't even think that's what they are anymore," Max replied, closing her eyes again as she gave herself to Chloe's embrace. "I think...I think it's some kind of... I dunno, place."

"It's a dream," Chloe said, then she shook her head, "no, sorry. I can't be in fucking denial anymore." She sighed. "What, uh, what did she say this time?"

"Um," Max couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle, "she said the world is ending. The apocalypse."

_I hate how easily I said that._

"Oh...come on, that can't be true," Chloe clutched her tighter, "that's not even denial. That just can't actually...happen. Right?"

"At this point?" Max felt the sad droplets of water hit her shoulder. "Chloe, I don't know anymore." She pulled out of Chloe's grasp and stared at her, running a finger under her eye to chase away the tears. "But...you have no idea how fucking livid I am. We're going to figure out what's going on. And if we have to, we're going to stop it."

_If you're there, rumbling around in my head... All you ever try to do is scare me. Mission accomplished. But you are fucking crazy if you don't think I'm not going to fight back. I'm not the same person I was back then._

"What, uh, what are we supposed to do about..." Chloe looked around, then shrugged, "life? School? Work?"

"I...know this sounds impossible, but for now, we have to try and keep going like normal," Max said. Chloe's brows knit together.

"How the fuck is that supposed to work? You've had two nosebleeds today  _and_ I've had one," Chloe argued. "Not only does Victoria and the entirety of the Two Whales know about you, but my mom must be getting concerned about me too. What if it happens to you in class? Then what?"

"I don't  _know,_  Chloe," Max replied, "but if this shit is really happening, we can't let anyone know. We..." her shoulders relaxed and she summoned a small, encouraging smile, "we've done this before, right?"

_We'll fucking do it again. I am not letting this happen._

"Not like this," Chloe said, "this is entirely different. Things are literally fucking changing right before our eyes."

"And so far, we seem to be the only ones who notice," Max pointed out. She pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a slow breath. "I know this is going to be fucking hard. But we can't let on that anything's wrong. Every second that we can, we're going to try and figure this out. But we have to try and play the part of normalcy."

"I...don't know if I can," Chloe said quietly. Max shook her head.

"I don't either," she admitted, "but..." She took Chloe's hands into her own and stared into her eyes. "You're with me, right? Partners in crime?"

"Ugh, I just..." Chloe glanced down, muttering 'fuck,' then looked back up. "Partners in crime," she confirmed. Then she smiled anxiously. "We've, uh, really racked up a hell of a bounty."

"Like pirates, right?" Max asked, gently brushing the back of her fingers across Chloe's cheek.

"Like pirates," Chloe said, wiping the blood from under Max's nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Worst science class ever. What the hell.
> 
> Now, I know what you might be thinking: Jesus Christ, that was a little much. To which I say...
> 
> Anyways, this will be the last chapter of the year. I hope everyone had a good holiday and that you all have a happy New Year! Thanks for being a bright spot in 2017. You're all wonderful. Catch you in 2018!


	67. Whispers

"...so...can't...to pick...a graduation..." Taylor said, her voice thick and oozing out over the desk.

_How did we 'break' time?_

"Wow." That was Kate's voice, similarly slow and distorted, "...so nice...parents. ...didn't...got cars...for graduating..."

_I can't believe we might literally be the ones who end the world. Or...existence? I never expected to be that level of super villain._

"I'm...all that...?" Taylor again, accompanied by some sort of movement that might have been a shrug. "...spoiled...guess."

"I don't...my license..." Kate once again. "...stable...my family..."

_How does everything fit together? There must be an explanation. If only the pieces weren't...so fucking messy._

"Katie," Victoria's voice slipped down to the floor with a sigh of sludge. A movement in her shoulder indicated she might be taking Kate's hand. "I'll buy...car...want."

_What the fuck IS the other me? How can she be me? What the hell does that mean?_

"...silly." Kate. Probably.

"...not entirely...how...family is," most likely Taylor said with stretched out speech, "...wouldn't...put...past her." A movement beside Max. "...about you? Do...your license?" A hand waved in front of Max's face, yanking her from her thoughts. "Uh, you in there?"

"Wha, huh?" Max blinked a few times, then turned to Taylor. "What's up?"

"Can. You. Operate. A. Vehicle?" Taylor asked again, pausing between each word for clarity's sake.

"Uh...yes?" Max snickered.

"Max, what is your deal?" Victoria asked with a tint of exasperation. "You've been freaking me the fuck out since yesterday. Are you  _sure_ you're alright?"

_I did NOT think she would be this persistent. I guess I can't ever argue that she doesn't care._

"Yeah, I'm good," Max replied. "I told you I was fine yesterday. Just daydreaming."

"You're...sure?" Victoria repeated again, clearly unconvinced. Her eyes were big, full of concern. Beside her, Kate scooted a little closer, making sure their shoulders were touching.

"Oh, Jesus," Taylor groaned, "she's okay, Vic!" She drummed her hands on the table. "Leave her alone. You know she's probably just fantasizing about whatever underwear Chloe has on today." She winked at Max. Victoria glared at her, then softened as she looked down at the desk.

"Right," she muttered, "I just...I don't know, because of the thing I told you about yesterday. The timing was weird."

_Nathan. What does he know?_

"You never know," Max said, forcing a playful smile as she leaned forward, "maybe that  _is_ what caused it. You cursed me. Like a witch."

"Don't joke." Victoria's lips scrunched to the side. "You had me so worried. You were like, barely conscious and...I mean, just the way Chloe was acting. She...she yelled at me. She's never done that before."

"She was just worried," Max assured, thumbing through the book in front of her, "but it's okay now. Really."

"I was worried too when Vicky told me about everything," Kate added, sharing a worried look of her own. Beside Max, Taylor huffed and clutched her head.

"Guys, come  _on,_ " she complained. Max sat up straight and patted her on the shoulder.

_Abort topic. Switching gears..._

"So, uh..." Max eyed Victoria, "it's Vicky now, eh?"

"Just, ah," Victoria blushed and tilted her head at Kate, "just for her..."

"Where did the one come from?" Taylor asked, digging into her pencil case. She took out a Ziploc bag of animal crackers, smiling to herself in satisfaction.

"Heat of the moment," Kate said quickly, then turned even redder than Victoria. "Oh, um, I mean..."

_Oh okay, even with everything else going on, that's funny._

"Girls," Ms. Waters called, causing each of them to look in her direction. Max noticed the rest of the class was also staring at them. "Got something interesting to share with everyone?" Taylor blew a gust of air through her lips and moved her head side to side.

"No," Victoria said sharply, her eyes screaming at Taylor and earning a chuckle from the girl.

"Oh no?" Ms. Waters said with a little pout, which quickly turned into a smile. She shook her head. "Just pay attention, guys. Save the jibber-jabber for after class, alright?" The was a chorus of 'yes ma'am' and she nodded, pleased with the response. "Good! Now then, as I was saying..."

She continued on with the lesson, but Max's attention was drawn across the room to Stella. She was writing in a notebook, looking up every few seconds at Ms. Waters. But Max could only focus on the girl's shirt and the way it seemed to be lagging behind her with every movement, leaving blurred streaks of color behind. She chewed on the inside of her lip, then suppressed the need to gasp when Stella's t-shirt changed to a pink hoodie in an impossibly fast flash. The taste of blood met her tongue as she realized she'd bitten her lip too hard. She turned back to the desk in front of her, her hand tensing tightly around the pen she was holding.

_Nobody noticed again... That's good, but how am I really supposed to pretend like nothing's wrong? And I really don't like that it's affecting people directly now. Who knows what that could do._

The bell rang out, shrieking inside of Max's head as the visage of her other self came into clear view. She clenched her jaw, then leaned to the side and snatched her bag off the ground.

"Just a second," Ms. Waters said, sitting on the desk. She waved to Alyssa as she left the room, leaving only the four girls remaining. She looked at each of them. "So, really... Are you all okay? A lot of disgruntled looks throughout the class."

_This was so much easier when I was a loner._

"Oh, we're good, Ms. Waters," Kate answered. "Just a little chatty. Sorry..." She looked up at her apologetically. "That was rude of us."

"Hmm..." Ms. Waters narrowed her eyes, "okay. Just making sure. I didn't want there to be some kind of fight going on or something."

"No fights," Taylor responded, slamming her bag onto the desk, "but I'd probably win if there was."

"Let's not find out," Ms. Waters chuckled. "Well...alright, if everything's okay, then I'll see you all tomorrow. Bring your inside voices."

"Yeah, we will," Victoria said, "sorry again, Maddie."

The girls shuffled out into the hall, where Max immediately checked her phone. There were a few texts from Chloe that didn't say anything particularly enlightening, but just her checking in made Max feel better. The cruelest part of everything they were going through, Max thought, was that they had to spend any time away from each other. Before she could begin to respond, Victoria put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, we're going to go to that ice cream place," she said, "wanna come with?"

"Uh..." Max hesitated, simply because her brain wasn't working as well as she would have liked.

"From when I broke my hand," Victoria explained with a giggle. "It's not too far and I thought it'd be fun." She looked over her shoulder at Kate and Taylor, who were already near the end of the hall.

"No, sorry," Max shook her head. "Rain check?"

_Rain check while Chloe and I storm check. Ha._

"...right," Victoria said, looking a bit dejected. "Sure, we'll get some later." She shifted from foot to foot and sighed. "Look, Max..."

"Vic," Max looked her in the eyes, "I'm okay. Really."

"...promise?" Victoria asked. Max hoped the wince she couldn't contain wasn't noticeable.

_Dammit. Don't do this to me, please._

"I promise," Max lied. She smiled and nudged Victoria. "Go get your ice cream. An extra scoop for me, alright?"

"I think I can do that," Victoria snickered, nudging her back. "I'll catch you later." She turned and took a few steps, then looked back over her shoulder. "Uh, text if you need anything?"

"Scout's honor," Max said, holding up three fingers. She watched as Victoria joined Kate and Taylor and let out a sigh as they turned the corner.

* * *

Max headed straight for her dorm, content to lock herself in her room until Chloe was finished her shift at the Two Whales. She hoped she was having better luck with acting normal, as it had proved far more difficult than she'd anticipated. Her earlier confidence that it would be no big deal really didn't account for the relationships she'd built since her first adventure in October. Now that it was expected for her to interact with multiple people a day, it felt a lot like navigating a minefield. She kept her eyes on her phone, rereading the last text Chloe sent over and over, occasionally switching her attention to the clock at the top of the screen.

_Just a little longer and we can start to try and figure this out._

"It's hard to focus your lens when nothing stays still, isn't it?" a voice asked as Max walked by, her head down and oblivious to her surroundings. She screeched to a halt, then spun around, staring at Samuel in shock.

_You..._

"What did you just say to me?" Max asked icily, hurrying back over to him. He'd already resumed sweeping, as if he hadn't said a word.

"You are seeing secrets," he said, still not looking at her. "Samuel can't, but you can."

"What do..." Her voice raised in volume, but she cut it off as another student passed by. She glanced around, then leaned in closer to him. "Samuel, can we speak? Privately?"

"Are you angry with me?" he asked, frowning. She flexed her hands, composing herself.

"No," she laid a hand on his shoulder and shook her head, "but...I'd really appreciate it. Please?" After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and picked up the trash bag that had been set beside him. He followed her to his shed, then stopped to set the broom and trash bag just outside the door. Once he was also inside, Max checked to see if anyone was watching, then closed the door halfway. "Samuel," she said, taking a steadying breath, "you have to tell me what you know."

"Only what Samuel is told," he responded, earning a frustrated sigh from Max.

"Do you  _have_ to talk in riddles? I'm serious." She paced in tight circles, then tugged at her hair as she started crying. "I'm losing it, okay? Please, you have to tell me what's going on. What you know. Fucking anything."

"The..." he fiddled with his fingers, showing visible discomfort at Max's tears, "the squirrels say that the clock is wounded." He shook his head in pity. "That you're trying to mend it." Max looked him over, then checked outside once more.

"What  _are_ the squirrels?" she asked. "Do they...actually talk to you?"

"They're my spirit animals," he answered with absurd normalcy. "They tell Samuel what's happening." Max rubbed one of her eyes roughly to remove the tears.

_I'm going to have to humor his cryptic bullshit if I want any answers at all. Okay. The squirrels 'tell him' what's going on. Right..._

"Um, okay..." She went over to a stack of books on a shelf and mindlessly ran her fingers along the spine of the top book. "The night we came back from spring break... You were talking to a group of squirrels. But," she turned to him, "Victoria couldn't see them. Chloe and me could."

"Yes," he said simply, taking a seat on a large, overturned bucket.

"Why?" she asked, clinging tightly to her patience.

"Because they want you to," he responded. He smiled knowingly. "Just as your spirit animal does."

_Mine?_

"My spirit animal?" Max glanced around her, feeling increasingly claustrophobic. "Do you mean the doe?"

"Yes," he said excitedly. "The doe is kind. It watches over you and tries to keep you safe. Much in the same way you do for those you care about."

"But Chloe can see it too," Max said, drawing the words out carefully, as if it might trip him up.

"She is very important to you." He reached a hand out and slowly, Max would also say creepily, rubbed his finger along the corner of a metal shelf. "Just as it watches over you, it watches over her."

"Samuel, I..." Max sighed, "do you...I mean, you  _do_ understand how insane this all sounds, right?"

"Not anymore," he admitted with the smallest shade of humor.

"We're talking about...about fucking spirit animals," Max said, waving her hand. "That's impossible. That doesn't exist! There aren't ghost animals that are like, assigned to people!"

"Which of us are you trying to convince?" he asked, head tilted in curiosity. A quiet growl vibrated in Max's throat, though it was aimed at herself. "Denial does not erase the things you've seen."

_I wish it did. Okay, fine. So the doe 'watches over' me._

"So...what, uh, what do squirrels do, then?" Max asked, holding her hand against her pocket with hopes of feeling a vibration.

"They...are different, yes," he said, nodding knowingly. "The doe is quiet. It asks to be followed. It watches." He gestured at Max, drawing emphasis to their similarities. "You see with your camera. You see with your heart. You notice." Max tightened her stance, again noticing how small the room was. "But squirrels... They are busy. Very busy. They talk. Share their information. Like..." he showed his teeth in a rare, true smile, "whispering down the lane."

"O-okay," Max said, finally resigning herself to the Escher-esque nature of his answers. "And what have they been saying lately?"

"They are...happy to see Arcadia Bay breathe again," he said, but his expression took on one of concern, "but they are worried."

_Worried?_

"What do you mean by 'breathe again?'" Max asked. Samuel thought for a moment.

"A flower blooming after too long in the shade," he replied. Max nodded for him to continue, then quickly changed her mind, holding up a hand to stop him before he could. She stepped backward and poked her head out the door, then pulled it all the way open.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the deep red flower where the Tobanga once stood.

"A flower," he responded. A surge of energy shot through Max's arm and she had to actively stop herself from swinging at  _something_ violently.

_God dammit, Samuel._

"What  _kind?_ " she asked through clenched teeth, then forced herself to calm down. "I have never seen one like that before."

"You would not have. They are unique to Arcadia Bay," he said, then lowered his voice to a whisper of awe, "the Blood of Arcadia."

"No," Max shook her head, "no, no. That's not...how this works. How can it be native to  _just_ Arcadia Bay? Why isn't that a bigger deal?" She flailed a hand. "There should be...I mean, if it's so fucking special, it should be in high demand. Why doesn't anyone here care?"

"It hasn't grown in a long, long while," he said, pulling one of his legs up and resting an ankle on his knee. "But even so, there are cataracts all around. The others... Their sight is hindered. They do not see secrets as you do."

"How is that possible?" Max scratched her hands through her hair. "That doesn't make any fucking sense. A flower can't just spontaneously exist without a seed. I mean..." She looked around her wildly. "Crabs don't just thrive out of season. Fireflies don't fucking live by the swarm when there aren't any others around for hours." The walls of the room seemed to bend toward Max, hastening her breathing. "What...what is going on with this place?"

"It's breathing," he said, looking deep into Max's eyes.

_Almost like the opposite...?_

"So..." Max scowled and closed the door once again when she noticed someone staring at them. "So, what? These things are just...happening out of nowhere and nobody's phased by it?" She shook her head. "No, there was a, uh, fisherman who was clearly very aware of how weird things were. He was..." She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. "He didn't care. Not really. He was just happy."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Samuel asked, seeming to be genuinely confused.

"Because it's fucking weird!" Max shouted, regretting it when Samuel flinched. "Sorry," she held her hands up in apology. "I'm sorry. Please, you have to understand how difficult this is to understand."

"I do," he assured, then gave a restricted shrug, "I used to."

"Sure," she said, assuming an understanding tone. She took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. Samuel... Why are the squirrels worried?"

"They don't want it to stop," he said, his expression flickering through nervousness. An uneasy feeling seeped through Max's bones as the walls seemed to shift in her periphery.

"What don't they want to stop?" she asked, then clasped her elbow anxiously. "What have they said about me?"

"That sometimes," he spoke slowly, "we are our own worst enemy."

Max's throat constricted and, as if on cue, the walls on either side of her lurched at her. They passed through her, and each other, before becoming still once again. Everything in the room, with the sole exception of the sprinkler controls, had switched sides. It was mirrored. She choked down the urge to cry, channeling the energy into her clenched fist where her nails broke skin. As expected, Samuel didn't react in any way. Completely oblivious.

"Um," she glanced at the floor, trembling as she tried to focus on being able to swallow, "have they said anything about how to...fix it?"

"No," he said with disappointment, "I'm sorry. But it's as Samuel said in the other place... You and Arcadia Bay are connected by time and tide." Max cocked her head and looked him up and down.

_The...other place?_

"Do you...remember that?" she asked.

"No," he said once again, with a similar amount of disappointment. "I only know what the-"

"What the squirrels tell you, I know," Max huffed. She turned and bent down, cautiously touching the recently switched cardboard box. "You know about it, then? About me?"

"I do," he nodded, "but not all the puzzle pieces. Only the border."

"That doesn't freak you out?" Max looked back at him, suddenly feeling something close to embarrassment. Like she was an abomination. "Are you...afraid of me?"

"Yes," he answered quietly. Feeling further self-conscious, she looked away. "I know you're a good person, Max. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Max's lip quivered, but she managed to shake it off.

"Hell?" she asked. "Really?"

"It's just an expression," Samuel replied with a chuckle. Somehow, that he was correcting her on that only made it worse. "It is a mistake nothing can fully avoid."

"I tried," she whispered, "I really tried." He smiled at her understandingly. She picked at the skin around her fingernails and took a deep breath through her nose. "So...you know about the conversations we had in the, uh, other place?" Samuel nodded. "Okay. There was something you said when strange things were happening. That it was...only the beginning."

"I'm sorry," he responded. "You talked to Samuel, but not to me."

_Fuck. Right, right. This is so confusing._

"I...know, I'm sorry." Max's lip quirked to the side. "I just thought..."

"Samuel does agree with myself," he added. "I don't think anything ever really ends. They just begin again." He looked down, thinking it over. "Yes. A serpent eating its tail. A flower out of shade."

_I don't know what to feel. I want this to end, but not...like that. And this is so bizarre. The squirrels know about the other timelines? That's... Oh no..._

"Samuel," she said, a thought striking hotly at her heart, "the squirrels tell you about things you don't remember doing, right?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Um," Max closed her eyes, "sometimes when strange things happen to me and Chloe, or to others, it messes our heads up. It can make us really confused. It can even hurt. Have you...felt anything like that?" In the space before he could answer, she decided to find out. It pained her to do it, but she had to know. "Do you know that while you were painting up on a ladder, a bucket of paint fell and splashed all over Victoria Chase?"

"Because of your tampering," he said, though it lacked any sense of confrontation. Max winced, shaking her head.

_Dammit. Dammit..._

"So you already knew that," she said, then took a step toward him, making it a point to stare deep into his eyes. A memory of the night she returned from spring break drifted center stage in her mind.

_When Chloe joked that he was the eyes and ears of Blackwell... Oh, no. Samuel..._

"They...use you, don't they?" she asked, frowning.

"They try to help," he responded, "but only Samuel can hear. And few listen to me."

"Is..." she swallowed, staving off the deep sense of sadness, "is that why you speak the way you do? You're...mixing up your words with theirs. Like  _they're_ talking  _about_ you." The anxious glance to the floor from Samuel seemed to confirm her suspicions. "They...made you this way." She realized she'd let a tear escape. "I'm so sorry."

_Is this my fault? Knowing things he isn't supposed to know... It fucked up his head._

"Samuel is happy to have friends," he assured.

"But...you've been like this since before I even knew you," she said.

"They've talked to Samuel...to me for as long as I can remember," he answered with a shrug.

_Is that why they've also been in my nightmares? They're...what? Not linear? What the fuck?_

Finally, Max felt a vibration against her thigh and she quickly dug her phone out.

**Chloe:** off omw

"Uh..." Max looked at him, "listen, Samuel. I need to go now, but we can continue this later?"

"I enjoy talking with you," he said with a smile, getting to his feet and taking hold of the broom. Max tried, but she couldn't return it.

"Thank you for taking the time," she said. She exhaled sadly and stepped closer, giving him a quick hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"There is no reason for you to apologize," he replied. Max nodded slowly and opened the door. She stopped as she took one step outside, a final question settling in on her tongue.

"Samuel..." she said. "Sean Prescott can see the doe too. Do you know why?"

"Because it wants him to," he said, repeating his earlier reasoning.

"Is he dangerous?" Max asked quietly. Samuel's eyes glazed over as he stared outside, then he nodded.

"He is shade," he said.

* * *

"Hey," Chloe said as she came through the door, flinging a hand behind her to shut it. She sounded tired, which made sense given their lack of sleep. "How are you, babe?"

"Way fucked up," Max responded, trying and failing to add a snicker to her words. She pulled her feet up onto her bed and hugged her knees. "I just had a pretty crazy conversation with Samuel." Chloe's expression immediately switched from dull to something much more alert and she sat down next to Max.

"How crazy?" she asked, taking Max's hand into her lap. Her thumb began tracing small circles on the back of her hand.

"Uh..." Max narrowed her eyes, "crazier than whatever you're imagining. I feel pretty safe making that bet."

"Awesome," Chloe replied with a sigh. "Well, let's hear it."

_Where do I even begin?_

"Okay, so...the animals," Max began. Chloe made a disgusted sound and hung her head. "So, they're...real? I mean, I guess we...knew that. But they're for real."

"Spooky doe confirmed, got it," Chloe said flatly. She held Max's hand just a little tighter.

"And the squirrels," Max added. "Uh, some of them, anyway. The ones you and I could see but Vic couldn't."

"Does this..." Chloe shook her head and flitted a hand in frustration, "does this actually have anything to do with the end of the world or is it just  _another_ fucking thing we have to deal with?"

"I...think so?" Max gave a halfhearted shrug. "It's all really nebulous. But the squirrels are definitely aware of what's going on. Samuel, too. By proxy, I guess."

"You sound fucking batshit, you know that?" Chloe puckered her lips. "Don't get me wrong, I don't have even a toe to stand on to argue against it. It's just...the squirrels 'know.' Sounds insane."

_Yeah, no shit, babe._

"I'm acutely aware," Max said dryly. "But it's true. Samuel knows about October. He knows about my powers. I mean, the only thing that actually does make sense is connecting the two together."

"Yeah," Chloe agreed reluctantly. "Okay so, what did the rodents have to say?"

"Apparently they're worried about the whole universe imploding thing," Max said, scanning around the room as she spoke.

"Same," Chloe said.

"Right." Max looked back at her with something in between annoyance and adoration. "But there's also something...weird as hell going on with Arcadia Bay. It's completely out of whack. It's actually like," she opened her mouth and moved her jaw as she searched for words, "it's the total opposite of what happened back in October."

"When all the animals were dying and shit..." Chloe nibbled her lip. "Was that still happening in the, uh..." she made a circular motion at her hip as if spinning a wheel, "you know, other universe? I can't remember if I saw that."

_You saw too much, anyway._

"It was, yeah," Max responded.

"So the storm was still coming..." Chloe held up an index finger. "Okay, and how does that work exactly?"

"I've actually thought about that," Max said, slipping her other hand over Chloe's so that it was trapped between both of hers. "I think it's because I would have never been able to go to that timeline if you," her nostril flared, "if you didn't survive. Do you know what I mean? You surviving made that possible, so..."

"So it still comes back to the bathroom," Chloe said. "Why the fuck was life so bent on me getting shot? That feels a little bit like I was singled out." The corner of her lip tugged up in a smirk.

"Yeah, well," Max managed a chuckle, scooting over and resting her head on Chloe's shoulder, "I think you might literally be the center of the universe. Not just mine."

"Didn't sign up for that," Chloe replied. She stretched her legs out straight in front of her. "So, Arcadia Bay is freaking out instead of dying?" She looked to the side in thought. "You know, I could swear every fucking flower in Mom's garden bloomed overnight a few days ago. All of them at once. Thought I was just imagining things."

"No," Max sighed, "that sounds about right."

"Almost..." Chloe snorted, her eyes faraway, "almost makes the name thing sound like it has some truth to it." Max scowled.

"That can't be..." she growled and flailed her hand, "fuck it, we're not using the word 'can't' anymore. Fine, whatever." She rolled her head on Chloe's shoulder so she could see her. "Let's assume Arcadia Bay is some kind of spooky whatever. Why would it just now be happening?"

"Did you ask the squirrels?" Chloe asked sardonically. Max glared at her in response. "No, seriously. They'd know, right?"

"Something about...I don't know, it's all riddles." She pressed Chloe's hand between hers a bit tighter, then released the pressure. She sat up straight, a shadow of spite sweeping over her features. "Well, no. A certain someone did come up in conversation. Our common thread."

"Of fucking course he did," Chloe bit the words off angrily. "What the  _fuck_ is going on with those people?"

" _That_ is our lead," Max said. "We need to..." she sighed, "we need to talk to Nathan."

_I can't believe I'm saying this._

"How in the fuck are we supposed to do that?" Chloe asked. "Don't know where he's being kept. Don't know when their visiting hours are. We'd have to do it without seeming suspicious, which is impossible." Chloe shook her head. "In this timeline, you don't even have a  _reason_ to want to visit him. It would be totally random."

"I know," Max admitted, "but we have to figure something out. First things first, we need to get info out of Victoria. Which is  _great_ because she's currently the one who's most suspicious. So, you know, good place to start." Max gave an unenthusiastic thumbs up.

"So, cool, let me just recap this," Chloe said, falling onto her side slowly enough that Max could go with her. "We need to sneakily get info on my attempted murderer from one of our best friends. Because ghost animals said so. And hopefully, that will help us stop the world from ending."

"When you put it like that..." Max said, giving a toothy smile. "If it's any consolation, there's no one I'd rather joke about existence ending with."

"A very small amount of consolation," Chloe replied with a quiet snicker. She leaned up just enough to plant a kiss in Max's hair. "So, what's the plan then? How do we wring it out of Victoria?"

"That's a fantastic question," Max muttered, burying her face in Chloe's chest. "As soon as we bring Nathan up, she'll connect the dots to my bloodbath at the diner."

"Don't suppose we could just explain it all to her," Chloe offered, and Max's head snapped up with an incredulous look. "I'm joking, Max."

_You fucking better be._

"Seriously though, that is not an option," Max said. "Who knows what would happen if she-"

"Helloooo?" a voice came from outside, accompanied by an enthusiastic knock. Max sighed and let her face smack against Chloe's body. "Hey, you guys in there?" There was a giggle. "If I open the door and you guys are banging, do I get to watch?"

_Not the time for this... Dammit._

"Come on in, Dana," Max said loud enough so that she could hear. She shot Chloe a look, her mouth drawing in a straight line as she sat back up.

"Aaaaand," Dana opened the door, then pouted, "that's disappointing."

"Sorry," Chloe said, summoning a playful tone. She also sat up, hanging her legs over the side of the bed.

"I guess it's okay," she said, feigning her discontent. "Well, anyway, I was just checking to see if you guys wanted to ride together over to the apartment?" Max arched an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between Chloe and Dana.

_The apartment? What?_

"Uhh...I think we're going to pass on it tonight?" Max said, confusing clear in her voice.

"What! No way!" Dana stood in front of them and put her hands on her hips. "You promised you'd chill with us tonight!"

_Promised?_

"What?" Max shook her head. "When did I do that?"

"Uh, like two days ago?" Dana's smile slowly faded. "Wait, do you honestly not remember?" She took out her phone and tapped on it. "Hey Max," she began to read, "do you want to hang out at the usual place? Having a small party and you know I don't like being the only one that's an outside of the group." Max squinted at her as Dana held up an index finger. "And then you said: Yeah, definitely. Promise we won't leave you hanging." She poked the screen. "And then emojis."

_What the hell? I seriously don't remember doing that at... Aw, fuck._

"Oh, right, right," Max said, nodding. "Sorry, I just don't think I'm feeling up to it tonight." Discretely, she tapped Chloe on the lower back, hoping that she'd understand it as...something, at least.

"Oh..." Dana pouted, this time in sincerity. "That sucks, but if you really don't want to, I won't pressure you." She shrugged with a smirk. "Maybe a little bit." She clasped her hands together pleadingly. "I reeeeeally want you there. And if you're just in a funky mood, you know it'll make you feel better. Right, Chloe?" She turned her attention to Chloe. "What do you think?"

"Dude, I have no fucking idea," Chloe replied, covering her face with her hands. It sufficed as an answer to the question, but Max could tell it was more of a general comment. Dana cocked her head to the side.

"You guys are being super weird," she said, frowning. "Everything alright?"

_That question is going to get so old._

"Yes, yes!" Max said quickly, then amended the irritated tone. "Yeah, we're all good."

"Right, well..." Dana swayed back and forth, "if you change your mind, I'll be waiting with drinks and laughs and fun."

"Sure," Max said, "thanks."

After a brief silence, Dana nodded and waved before escaping the room. It was the only time Max had ever seen her behave with any hint of awkwardness. Something about that made her feel particularly guilty. She sighed and reached across Chloe to get her phone, then searched through it. With a huff, she let her weight fall against Chloe's shoulder.

"That is  _so_ fucked," she said. "I definitely didn't make any promises, but it's right fucking here." Her eyes darted around in thought and she snorted. "Well, that explains why I had to fucking help her clean up after Valentine's Day."

"Are you kidding me? That was months ago!" Chloe chuckled bitterly. "Great, has this shit been going on for that long? And not only is it changing random shit, now it's changing how we act?"

"Super awesome," Max said flatly. "I saw two others today. One was the fucking room changing in Samuel's shed, and the other was Stella's clothing. I don't like it getting that close to actually...changing a person." She pointed at the door. "Bonus points, by the way, for adding Dana to the list of people sketched out."

"Argh, dammit," Chloe growled, scratching through her hair. "That's not going to fly..." She bit her lip. "Okay, why don't we just go?"

_Excuse me?_

"Dude, what? This is  _so_ not the time for a party," Max argued. Chloe held her hands up in defense.

"I know that, Max. But listen," she said. "It'll help make it look like nothing's up. We don't even need to stay long, you know? Just enough to show up, say hey, and bail." She added a small shrug. "I could...use a little fun, too."

"Chloe, this isn't..." she sighed, "I don't know if we can afford to waste time like this."

"Alright," Chloe said, swinging to the side and taking Max's hands once again. "I'm deferring to you. But it sounds like you had an enlightening conversation with Samuel and our only move right now is Victoria. Can we do that tonight?"

"Good point," Max admitted, "she's not even here right now, and I assume she'll be busy with Kate."

"Right," Chloe nodded, then hunched over a bit to look into Max's eyes. "Listen, this isn't like me bullshitting around and sneaking into the pool. I'm taking this seriously, I promise. But if we're playing chess here, we need to capitalize on every moment. And right now, our move is to try and keep up appearances." She smiled uneasily. "Better than sitting here just freaking."

_That's...definitely true._

"Another good point..." Max smirked and gently booped Chloe's nose with her thumb. "You know, this detective thing is going to be a lot easier now that you're all mature."

"God," Chloe sighed out the word and fell back onto the mattress, "I sure fucking hope so."

* * *

"Alright," Chloe said, giving a nod to Max, "an hour? Two tops? Not too long, right?"

"That should be fine, yeah," Max replied. She looked at the door in front of her, listening to the muted thrash of music bouncing against it from the other side, and manged a small smile. "Remember the first time we came here?"

"How could I forget?" Chloe chuckled, nudging Max with her elbow. "You were so silly. Feels like forever ago."

_But like yesterday, in a way._

"It does," Max agreed. She looked up at Chloe and her smile grew bigger. "I don't know," she said with a bit of embarrassment, "even with everything so fucked up, I'm so happy to have what we do. We have so many memories now."

"And more to come," Chloe said, pecking Max on the cheek. "Like hell we're letting anything come between us and a long, happy life." She knocked on the door, then rolled her eyes. "That was the most pointless thing I've ever done," she grumbled as she opened it.

Even after coming to this place a handful of times, Max still wasn't entirely sure how it operated. She'd only ever met the actual owner of the apartment once, with them being 'somewhere' every other time. Though she obviously liked Justin, Trevor and the others she'd grown to be familiar with, she still had trouble believing someone trusted them enough to come and go as they pleased.

"You came!" Dana shouted, running up and snatching Max in a hug. "Hell yes!" She released Max, then hugged Chloe. "What made you change your mind?"

"Your puppy dog eyes," Chloe said, earning a victorious grin from Dana.

"My greatest weapon," she said sinisterly, then she shrugged and cupped her breasts, "next to these, maybe."

_Real nice._

"I can only imagine the things you make Trevor do," Max snickered.

"You know it," Dana giggled. "Come on, let's get you guys something to drink. You can crash here tonight."

"Uh, sure," Max said, "but I don't know how long we'll be staying." Dana turned around and frowned.

"Aw man..." She headed over to a cooler and flipped the lid open, "then not much drinking, okay? Only one or two beers and you have to stay long enough to make sure it's out of your system."

"Jeez, yes, mother," Chloe chuckled.

_She is rather maternal sometimes._

"Hey, if I get teased for trying to keep my friends safe, it's worth it," she responded. She held out an invitational hand over the cooler and Chloe snatched two bottles out of it.

"So..." Chloe scanned around her as she twisted the cap off, "pretty crowded tonight, huh? What are we dealing with?"

It was true. In all of the times they'd been there, it was easily the biggest collection of people. They weaved in and out of different rooms, some just tending to their drinks casually while others moved about with more pep. Multicolored lights splashed around the walls, spinning freely from a machine not unlike the one Max had seen at prom.

"I don't even know," Dana said with exasperation. "The usual crowd, but one of the boys brought his girlfriend who brought all of her friends. Girlfriend friends."

"I thought that was our gig," Max replied, taking a small sip of her beer.

"No, you're just part of the group," Dana pointed out. She went onto her tiptoes and looked around, then waved for Max and Chloe to follow. They entered the spare bedroom, which, to Max's surprise, was empty, and she closed the door, blotting out the noise. She sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her. "Ooookay, good enough reason for me to take a timeout."

"Where's Trev?" Chloe asked, taking a seat next to her and then pulling Max into her lap.

"Playing pong," Dana responded, then she cringed. "Losing pong. So hard."

_I'm amazed that he keeps trying._

"That sounds about right," Chloe chuckled. Dana nodded, then laid on her back.

"So, I've been thinking about after high school," she said, letting the sentence trail off.

"Oh yeah?" Max regarded her with pursed lips. She had a feeling the conversation would quickly dip into deeper territory than she really wanted to deal with at the moment, but...she couldn't help but feel it was important to hear Dana out.

"Yeah..." Dana flitted a hand above her, "I have no idea what I want to do. I mean, I like modeling. Acting. But those aren't exactly the kind of thing you take off to college for."

"I'm sure there's plenty of schools that do that," Chloe assured, propping her chin on Max's shoulder blade.

"Probably, yeah. But still." Dana carefully guided her cup directly over her face and tilted it down, managing not to spill any on herself. "I just don't want to feel like I'm jumping into something for the sake of doing it. And I mean, Trevor hasn't filled out any applications..." She perked an eyebrow and looked at Max. "You're hanging around for another year, right?"

"I am, yeah," Max confirmed. "Are you thinking about taking a gap year as well?"

_I don't hate that idea... Assuming we have the opportunity to enjoy it._

"It's glanced across my mind," Dana laughed. "Just kind of...chilling without the pressure of school to figure myself out." She narrowed her eyes sheepishly. "And I don't want to leave him."

"Aw, cute," Max said with a smile.

_The things we do for love, right?_

"You know," Chloe snickered, "I totally support whatever decision you make, but we are such a good example of young people basing their big decisions on high school relationships. Naive or whatever?"

"And what decision did  _you_ make?" Max asked with a mocking look.

_You have to pay the toll if you want to be cynical._

"Uh..." Chloe rocked her head side to side, "I mean, sure, okay."

"You saying I shouldn't follow your lead, then?" Dana giggled.

"I think it'd be cool to still have you around," Max said, leaning her head back and onto Chloe's shoulder. "Especially if, you know, everyone else leaves." She frowned. "God, I really do ignore that fact a lot."

_I need to get my head out of the clouds._

"It's pretty sad," Dana agreed. She came back into a sitting position and smacked the back of her hand against Max's arm. "All the more reason to take the time to have fun instead of just staying in your room all sad, right? Before it all ends?"

_Great choice of words._

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Max said quietly.

"Yep," Chloe added shortly, taking a long sip of her beer.

Just then, the door to the room burst open. A boy and girl stumbled in, sloppily kissing as they bounced off of the door frame. Both of their eyes closed, the girl tugged at his belt ravenously. Dana scrunched her nose, giving both Max and Chloe a look, the cleared her throat loudly. The couple turned to them in surprise, with the boy growing a sleazy grin.

"Shit, babe," he said, swaying with inebriation, "I didn't know you were into this. This is awesome."

"Uh, I didn't-" she began to say.

"Oh  _hell_ no," Dana shouted with disgusted laughter. She pointed at them. "Not even kind of what's going on here. We're just talking and you're interrupting us!"

"But...if you're not really  _using_ the room..." the girl said, letting the silence imply the rest of the sentence.

_I mean, we are though..._

"I guess I'm not really in the mood to be a cockblock," Chloe said with a giggle. She tapped Max on the leg, and the girl got to her feet. "Come on, let's go watch Trevor get fucking wrecked in pong."

"Ugh, fine." Dana stood up and followed as Chloe and Max left the room. She stopped and glared at the couple. "Do  _not_ make a mess."

The three of them made their way out to the most crowded area of the apartment, joining the small mass of people looking on at the display of party games. Justin came beside Max, happy to see that her and Chloe had decided to come. The music thumped, rattling through their stomachs. When Max had a particularly noticeable amount of anxiety in her eyes, Chloe got another drink for her, explaining that she could afford it since she didn't need to drive. Reluctantly, Max accepted, giving in to anything that might calm her nerves. The music thumped, ricocheting around her head, stealing space away from all her worries.

* * *

A different kind of thumping filled her head as consciousness seeped in. She opened her eyes, her vision hazy with a dull ache. As her sight came together, she grew confused. The ceiling was...not familiar. It was an off yellow color, which was certainly not one she'd fallen asleep under in recent memory. Her first thought was agitation. More changes. In truth, it made her a little uneasy how her primary reaction to the changes was anger. Still scared, sure, but mostly it was an...exhausted rage. The desire to be completely done with it all.

She closed her eyes again, then rolled over. When she opened them back up, her heart sank. She didn't really expect to be alone in bed, but she did expect to recognize the person next to her. Facing away from her, all she could make out was blonde hair spilling out from the top of a lump of blankets. Eyes prying wide open, she took in a sharp breath and rolled back over onto her other side, becoming even more panicked when she realized that not only was the ceiling unfamiliar, the entire room was. She wasn't in her dorm and she wasn't in Chloe's house. She was somewhere else entirely. Spotting her phone on a nightstand next to the bed, she very slowly reached for it, careful not to disrupt the person beside her. Bringing the phone close to her face, she pressed the home button. Her stomach dropped. It was the exact time and date that it was meant to be. No distortions. No mismatching details. She was simply somewhere else.  _With_ someone else.

_What the fuck!? What the fuck!? Why can't I remember what happened last night!? There's...there's no way this is happening. Wait, what the hell was...?_

She woke the phone back up, her brows knitting together. The wallpaper was different. Still of her and Chloe, only they were in swimsuits somewhere with palm trees. Some place she'd certainly never been before. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure her bedmate next to her was still asleep, she typed in her password. It didn't work. She typed it again, more carefully, and it still didn't unlock. Then she felt movement next to her and her heart thrashed in her chest.

She turned and watched as the girl rolled over. She brought her arm from under the blanket, then let it flop back down on top of it. A storm of colors stretched down the length of it, a familiar cluster of butterflies and thorns. Her blonde hair, which was longer than Max had been able to tell before, slipped over her shoulder, revealing a faded blue at the ends. Her eyes fluttered open. Blue eyes.  _Her_  eyes. A sleepy smile stretched itself across her face.

"Mornin' sexy," she rasped. Max stared at her, her mouth bone dry and devoid of words. She swallowed, her throat sticking together due to lack of saliva. Then she found her voice.

"...Chloe?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I've been taking a break from posting chapters to work on a big stretch of them, but I kinda felt bad about keeping them back, so I'm putting up 67 to help ease the wait. At least there's no cliffhangers or anything! ;)
> 
> Wanted to give a little shoutout here to Mee Luffy (of Priceless Cosplay fame - I'm sure you know her, but if not, look them up!) for beta reading and just helping me get a feel for how the chapters are looking. She even caught some typos! Hell yeah!
> 
> Aaaaanyways, hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you again in a bit! Promise that I'm working very, very hard on on this, even if it doesn't seem like it. Muah!


	68. Story Of Another Us

Max's head was stuck some place between a manic sprint in a thousand different directions and simply crumpling into a pile of thick, slow horror. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. The muscles in her back were pulled taut as she looked down at the girl sleepily smiling at her. It was, without a doubt, Chloe Price. But not the same Chloe Price she knew. Not the one she'd kissed and held. Nor the one she'd pledged her life to with far off dreams of marriage. Everything around her, from the threads of the sheets to the very air occupying the room felt distinctly wrong. A funhouse mirror of all she knew.

_What...is going..._

"How long have you been up?" Chloe asked, propping herself up on her elbow. When Max didn't answer, she smiled slyly. "Oh, you still being quiet after last night?" She giggled and sat up, the blanket falling to her waist and revealing her bare chest. "Look," she said with a seductive whine, "I'm sorry I made you self-conscious about your little mishap in the dark, but it was way too cute to ignore." Despite the horrified look on Max's face, Chloe moved toward her and purred. "Can I make it up to you?" She slid her hand beneath the blanket, her fingers grazing along Max's leg.

_Wait... Wait! This isn't right!_

"Wait," Max said, but the word was strangled. Chloe advanced, getting to her knees and leaning closer for a kiss. "Wait, wait," Max repeated, planting her hands on Chloe's chest. She pushed, far harder than she meant to, and the girl sprawled backward onto the mattress. She gazed up at Max with a wounded look. It was an expression that seemed to signal the unlocking of many, many tortured thoughts and heavy doubts that had been hidden away with a great deal of effort. Max shook her head and reached forward in a wordless attempt at an apology. "Chloe, I'm not..."

And suddenly, every word Chloe had ever spoken about alternate realities broke open and became real. Every tear she had shed lamenting the confusion and despair that came with knowledge not meant to be known was alive in front of Max, running down her spine like burning oil. Something she never thought she'd have to say. Something she spent so much time saying the opposite of. It was now real.

"I'm not..." Max said, struggling for words, "I'm not  _your_ Max."

It was a simple string of words that would have carried almost no meaning to anyone else in the world. Just a strange, confused collection of sounds that would have been met with an awkward smile. But to Chloe...to  _all_ Chloes, it meant something very, very specific. Chloe stared at her for a long moment, unable to understand. And then she did something that actually managed to make Max smile, small and somber as it was – she yanked the blankets up around her, covering her chest.

And it was that small, simple action that brought to light just how...different everything was. It underlined just how much Max simply didn't  _know_  this Chloe. They were virtually strangers. In October, when Max saved William and met the dying, beaten down Chloe trapped in a chair, it didn't feel as jarring. She'd only been reunited with Chloe for two and a half days, so encountering a different iteration of her wasn't nearly as upending. But seven months later, she and Chloe had built a strong, loving relationship. A life together. That Chloe belonged to her. She was  _hers_. But the one across from her nervously clutching blankets to her chest with mostly blonde hair simply...wasn't.

"You're..." Chloe swallowed, then inched forward. Cautiously, she reached for Max's cheek, as if checking to see if she were real. "You're not?"

"No," Max whispered, noticing the impossible way the contact on her skin felt so familiar yet alien at the same time. "I'm...sorry?" She shook her head, at a complete loss. "I...can't tell if I'm dreaming or not."

_Is this a nightmare? Or...am I in another timeline for real?_

"Um, I...hope not," Chloe said, frowning, "that would be the most fucked up dream anyone's ever had." She thought for a moment, then furrowed her brow. "Max, are you fucking with me? This isn't funny."

"I'm not," Max replied, her eyes misting up and blurring the details in the room before she blinked it away. "I don't know what's going on." She felt a chill in her blood, the sort that comes with fight or flight response.

"Okay..." Chloe twitched her fingers together, her eyes sweeping over the blanket in front of her. "So...where did you come from?"

"My...my timeline?" Max said, every bit as unsure as her face showed. "Where are we?"

"Uh...New York City," Chloe replied quietly, still keeping her eyes aimed down. Max took in a sharp breath and hurried to her feet, taking the briefest moment to inwardly sigh at the realization that she was also nude, and went to the window. With a rough tug, the blinds shot upward, revealing a bustling city. Max's head spun and she braced herself against the windowsill.

_Holy shit. Holy shit. Okay, okay...calm down._

"Fuck," Max mumbled. Then, something odd above her caught her attention. She leaned forward and looked up, making a contemplative sound when she saw the sky was made of a bubbling, orange color.

_Huh... I...guess that's reassuring? Does that mean it's temporary? But...what IS this place? What happened here?_

"Um," Chloe cleared her throat, "do you want to...?" Max turned to her and couldn't help but chuckle just from the absurdity. Chloe was shielding her eyes, looking away. "There's some clothes..."

"I, uh," Max lightly touched her nose, feeling the absence of her piercing. "I think you might be more familiar with this body than I am." The timid joke fell flat, floundering on the ice instead of breaking it. She scooped up a shirt and pair of sorts off the floor and pulled them on. "Okay, there. Dressed."

_What do I do?_

"Okay," Chloe replied, slowly lowering her hand. She pouted and pulled the blanket more tightly around herself. "What's going on?" she asked, her face pulled tight and pained. Her eyes were glistening, fearful. Then she sighed and pressed a palm hard into her eye as she shook her head. "Dammit, Max. Did you try to fix it again? I thought..." she looked back up and her lip quivered, "I thought we were passed that."

_Fix it again? What?_

"Fix what?" Max asked, sitting back down on the bed. "Listen, I didn't go through any photos. I swear. Things are really...weird with time stuff and I think I might have, I don't know...slipped? It's like..." Her lips scrunched to the side as she analyzed Chloe's lack of response, instead maintaining a terribly sad expression. "Chloe," she whispered, "fix what?"

"You..." Chloe gulped, refusing eye contact, "you really don't know? You don't know about any of it?" She brought her hands to either side of her head. "How could you not know?"

"Know...what?" Max asked, a feeling of dread washing over her.

"About the storm?" Chloe glanced at her very quickly, then looked back down. Max's breathing hitched in her throat.

_Oh no... No way..._

"What about the storm?" she asked with a hollow voice.

_The storm... Did...?_

"It...it wiped out everything," Chloe responded, the sounds barely there. She took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Wiped out  _everyone._ "

"I..." Max ran her hands through her hair, trying to latch on to too many different thoughts, "I chose you?" Chloe perked an eyebrow and stared for a long moment, then nodded somberly.

"So...you didn't where you're from," she said. It seemed like she was doing her best to hide it, but Max could still hear the hurt plain in her voice.

"No, no, it's just...it's more complicated than that," Max replied, suppressing the urge to take Chloe in her arms. The girl kept a straight face, but there was so much in her eyes that spoke of insecurity and defeat. As if it was the expected answer. "Chloe, the storm hit Arcadia Bay?"

_What exactly is going on in this timeline?_

"Yeah," Chloe said, then her jaw moved around loosely, "it was...fucking crazy. They still don't have any answers for it. It didn't make sense."

"What do you mean?" Max asked, then a horrible thought struck her. She gasped as she clawed her phone up from the sheets. "Wait, what do you mean it wiped everyone out?"

_No, no, no. This cannot be happening. It can't be...everyone..._

"Everyone," Chloe whispered, as if directly responding to Max's thoughts. Her eyes were far away, lost in memories that were etched into her like scars. "It wasn't...it wasn't a regular tornado. There was something wrong with it. Somehow, everyone was..." She trailed off as her eyes flickered back to Max.

"You can't literally mean..." Max typed in her password again, though it was still incorrect. She tried again. And again.

"I do," Chloe said simply with iron conviction. It was the tone of someone who used to be unsure. Someone who was once caught in the darkness of denial. And someone who had since come to terms with an unbearably heavy truth. She reached for Max's phone. "Here..." She entered the password, then handed it back. She smiled sadly and shrugged. "0311."

"Your birthday," Max sighed with a touch of sweetness. She navigated through the phone, bringing up her text messages. The only people she had an ongoing conversation with were Chloe, her parents, and someone named Alex. There were other threads after that, labeled with familiar names. They were all dated back in October. She rocked forward, then clapped a hand to her mouth. "Everyone?" she squeaked between her fingers.

_How...how could that happen? Why!?_

"Hey," Chloe said soothingly, lurching toward her out of what seemed to be habit. She hesitated, then brushed her hair behind her ear, followed by a gentle swish of fingers below Max's eyes. "None of that, okay?" Her voice was stern, but caring as she shook her head. "Those eyes have paid their due in tears. No more."

"But I don't understand," Max cried. Chloe chased away more tears.

"Nobody does," she responded. Still quietly. Still comforting. "All this time later, nobody does."

"But...but..." Max hung her head, "no..."

She knew she was in a different reality. As in, this reality was not hers to worry about. She might even be sure somewhere deep down that it was all temporary. She'd leave it behind eventually. But that didn't make it any less real. The knowledge that everyone had died in the storm clutched her heart viciously. No, it couldn't have truly been  _everyone..._  It was too hard to accept. She thought of all those she knew and loved. Even those she didn't. The people of Arcadia Bay. Her family. To think that none of them were still alive... She sobbed once again.

_That's so fucked, no. No!_

"Listen," Chloe said softly, "I'm sorry. I've...always  _been_ sorry. But..." She lowered herself to see into Max's eyes. "I'm really confused and trying really hard not to freak out. I...I have a lot of questions."

"Fuck," Max muttered, running the back of her forearm across her nose, "right. Sorry. Um..." She looked around her. "I don't know what happened, but I think it might make sense. Things are...really fucked up where I'm from. But," she pointed at the window, "I don't think this is permanent. I don't know how long I'll be here."

"How do you know?" Chloe asked, following Max's gesture with her eyes.

"The sky is...there's this orange stuff?" She shrugged, frustrated at the difficulty in explaining. "It always shows up when I go through time." Chloe perked an eyebrow, got up and came around the bed, keeping the blanket wrapped around her.

"I don't see anything," she said, craning her neck as she looked up.

_Yeah... Of course not._

"People never do," Max responded. "It's always there when I go through a photo. Like, it locks off the memory or something."

"But..." Chloe turned back to her, a bit of frenzy in her voice, "but you  _said_ you didn't go through a photo."

"I didn't," Max assured, holding her hands up, "but it's shown up other times too. In nightmares and stuff? I don't really know how it works."

"So..." Chloe clutched the edge of the windowsill, her posture coiling tightly like a spring of anxiety. "So, if you're here, where is  _my_ Max?" Max's throat constricted.

_Oh fuck. Her Max?_

Of course. She hadn't ever given more than a second's thought about what happened to the 'other' her when she took control of her body. She merely thought of them as vehicles. It was never a point worth stressing before, but now she was talking to a Chloe who knew how all of these things worked. Seven months worth of bonding and attachment with a different Max that was now...gone. It didn't take a genius to conclude they were romantically involved, and so Max had theoretically stolen this Chloe's lover away and stored her...somewhere else.

"I don't know," Max admitted, a sense of remorse swirling through her. "She'll be back. Once I'm gone. That's how it works..."

"I'm familiar," Chloe said, letting out an exhausted sigh. "Okay..." She backed away from the window, still visibly tense. She scooped some clothes off the floor and Max looked away, mostly for the sake of Chloe's comfort. "Okay, okay. I'm good," she said after a moment. It wasn't entirely clear if she was referring to being dressed or her emotional state. Max turned back to her. "So, uh, you come from a timeline where I..." she stopped to compose herself, "where I died?"

Max was suddenly overcome with a terrible bolt of guilt. How could she possibly explain to this Chloe, who had lost everything, that she came from a place where everything had worked out? Impending universe destruction aside, anyway. It seemed...cruel to give her that knowledge. And Max feared instilling this Chloe with the same existential agony that had come with her own Chloe's dreams. She hated seeing how it affected Chloe, and the thought of inflicting that upon yet another pained her. Still, there was something in her... She couldn't bring herself to lie to anyone with those eyes.

_How do I go about this? ...fuck._

"Uh, actually," Max took a deep breath, "where I come from, you went through time with me. Back to the start of it all in the bathroom. You, um, moved at the last second. Nathan shot you, but it wasn't fatal..." Chloe's eyes grew wide. "The storm never came."

"So..." Chloe looked around slowly, her thoughts grinding around in her head, "so, everything was...okay? Nobody died?"

"No," Max shook her head apologetically, "everyone's alive. Everything is...um, fine."

_Sort of. I don't know._

"Oh wow," Chloe chuckled joylessly, dragging a hand down her face, "wow. That's...that's good. Um, that's great news. That's awesome." Robotically, she went over to the door of the room and jammed a towel in the crack separating it from the floor. She came back and braced herself on the TV stand for a moment, as if dizzy, then picked up a pack of cigarettes. "Do you, uh, want one?" she asked, holding it out to Max.

"I...don't smoke," she responded, staring at the cigarettes.

"Right," Chloe snickered, this time with a more jovial inflection. "Makes sense, I guess." She placed one between her lips. "You stole some of mine one night when I was sleeping to try and calm down your anxiety." She lit it and took a puff, her eyes fluttering in relief. "I was so fucking pissed. I screamed at you. Like, really, really screamed. I'm not sure I've ever been so angry with you..." She trailed off and nibbled her lip. "Hey, um, this is weird, but are we...?"

"Together?" Max asked, an involuntary grin spreading through her cheeks. Chloe only sheepishly looked at the floor. "Yes," she said, and Chloe met her eyes with some surprise. "We're together. We have been since then. Seven-ish months, going strong." Chloe smiled warmly.

"That's...fucking incredible," she said. "That's crazy. That makes me  _so_  happy."

_It makes me happy to see it worked out here, too. That feels right._

"Pretty cool, right?" Max said. She was acutely aware of the war waging in her mind. One half was maintaining conversation, almost automatically. It was casual, as if nothing were odd. The other half was screaming, beating against the first half to acknowledge the truth of the situation. And somehow, the two met in the middle, allowing just the right amount of each. "Um," Max looked around her once again, "where are we, by the way? I know you said New York, but..."

"A hotel," Chloe replied, leaning against the wall as she took another drag of the cigarette. She shrugged at Max's look of confusion. "We stay in a lot of hotels. Lots of traveling."

_Traveling? That's kind of cool, but...why? And..._

"Oh..." Max thought it over, a more prominent question taking presence on her tongue, "how do we afford that?"

"You...use your powers," she said with a slight wince, sensing it might not be the desirable answer. "I don't think we've actually spent a cent since the storm. We just keep adding to it." She laughed. "We're actually pretty well off. I haven't counted in a while but..." she moved her head back and forth, letting her big eyes and smile insinuate that it was probably a much bigger number than Max could guess.

_That's...morally ambiguous, but I guess I'd do it in a heartbeat if I had to. I never really thought about how rich we could get with my powers... Hm..._

"So, I'm still using my powers here?" Max asked, fiddling with the phone still in her hands.

"Yeah," Chloe confirmed with an expectant nod. "You don't in your timeline?" Max shook her head. "Huh..." She blew out a heavy breath, then pressed a palm hard into her eye. "I can't believe there's a reality where everything's okay. That's..." she bared her teeth in a wince, making her distaste apparent. "I'm sorry, but that's kind of fucked up." She gestured around her, and Max only then realized just how lavish the room was. "Don't get me wrong, I'm...happy with what we have. But Max has...er,  _you_ have gone through so much guilt. So have I, you know? It's just a little..." she cut it off and sniffled, "sorry."

"Don't apologize," Max said, once again reaching out in a sign of comfort. "I...I understand. It isn't very fair."

_That's an understatement. It hurts knowing this is going on...somewhere._

"I spent so many nights just fucking..." Chloe shook her head, unsuccessfully holding back her tears, "trying to help her. Trying so fucking hard to save her from her own head. It took so, so long." She took two quick puffs of the cigarette. "And me, man, I was just fucking broken. I was..." She looked away and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault."

"I said don't apologize," Max repeated. "Please don't, okay? I don't blame you at all."

"I know..." Chloe grabbed the doorway to what was presumably the bathroom and the quiet sizzle of an ember being extinguished could be heard. Somewhat timidly, she came back over to the bed and sat down. She opened her mouth, then hesitated, glancing at the window once more. "How long do you think you have?"

"I'm not sure," Max replied with a tiny shrug. She flushed a bit, feeling bad about trespassing into this other Chloe's life. She didn't blame her for wanting this to be over as quickly as possible so she could have her own Max back.

"Okay..." Chloe look at her, her expression uncertain. "Um, can you...tell me about it?" Before Max could ask for clarification, Chloe waved her hand loosely. "I don't know if that's a bad idea or something, but I'm really curious. I...I want to know what it's like."

_Oh..._

"Are...you sure?" Max tried to make her eyes hard, stressing the gravity of the request.

"I am," Chloe said with a single, sharp nod.

_I guess I owe her that much._

"Okay..." Max nervously brushed a finger against her cheek, "where do I even begin?"

"How's my mom?" Chloe asked quickly, almost before Max had finished speaking. There was desperation in her voice. "Is she okay?"

_Oh. I can't...imagine what it must be like. For Joyce to be... Fuck._

"She's good," Max said, her voice tight in her throat as she thought about it. Then, she managed a small chuckle. "She's great. Really. Your entire homelife got totally turned around, actually. Even David. You guys are really close now." Chloe raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Seriously, you're a...well, a family. You even call David 'Dadvid.'"

"No...fucking way," Chloe said in awe. "I don't believe that. I can't even imagine that. Me and David? Cool? There's no way. You're fucking with me, Maxers." With the last word, the feel of the room relaxed greatly.

_Same nicknames..._

"I swear." Max held a hand up as if placing it upon a bible. "We all celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas together. It was really...nice." Max shook her head, realizing how crazy it actually was. "Wow, I've gotten so used to it, but yeah... It's nuts. Joyce is so over the moon with it all. There's like, no screaming. No...hate. And David's been so good. We even finished painting the house in honor of your dad. It was his idea."

"Really?" Chloe took in a slow breath and a faint smile crossed her lips. "Wow. And, uh, are they cool with...?"

"Us?" Max asked, then giggled when Chloe nodded. "Yes. They're very cool with it. They're so happy you're happy. It's all they care about." It looked as though Chloe might protest, but instead she frowned.

"Woah..." She looked down at her hands. "Ah man, that sounds awesome. Insane, but awesome. I'm so glad to hear she's okay. David, too. I really miss...uh," she gave a quick shake of the head and met Max's eyes again, "what else?"

_How do I make this hurt as little as possible? It must be so conflicting._

"Well...you got a job," Max said, trying to weave through the painful details. Chloe formed an 'O' with her mouth. "Three guesses where?"

"You're joking." Chloe waited for an admission of jest, then laughed and grabbed her head when she didn't receive one. "No!I became a waitress!? What the fuck, man!?"

_That's pretty much still your reaction in my timeline, too._

"And you actually like it," Max teased, bringing her legs underneath her. In spite of everything, she was finding slivers of enjoyment in the oddity of the conversation. "You're great at it, too.  _And_ you hook me up with free food all the time." Chloe smirked, acknowledging the 'of course' nature of the fact. "Oh, and you got Frank a job there, too. You and him are cool again." She raised a hand in explanation. "We all are, actually. We spent New Year's Eve with him."

"Holy fuck," Chloe smiled, "that bastard got a real job? That he can do in front of police?" Her smile faded and her jaw tensed. "That...makes me happy. I didn't like the way things went down between us. We used to be friends. He...cleaned up his act?" Max nodded. "Wow, good for him. I'm proud. That's awesome."

"You helped him do it," Max said, gesturing to Chloe to properly give credit. "You were really there for him after...everything with, um..."

_Shit. Everything leads to hurt._

"Rachel," Chloe replied easily. "It's okay. That was, ah, the first one I dealt with." She tapped her temple.

"Right, yeah," Max said with a shade of pink her cheeks. "He was really rough after her funeral, but you pulled him out of it. We're friends and he's sweet and he buys us alcohol and gives us weed." Chloe snorted and raised an eyebrow.

"You smoke weed?" she asked with a lazy smile.

"Oh, uh, occasionally?" Max returned the smile with mock guilt.

_That's an interesting distinction. Huh._

"Better than cigarettes, I guess," Chloe chuckled, burying her face. "But he doesn't deal anything else?"

"Nope," Max responded. "Those days are long behind him. He actually looks a bit younger, too. I guess less stress?" She gave a dismissive shrug. "But he's just one of our friends. We're surprisingly social. It's  _so_  exhausting."

"Who?" Chloe asked, planting an elbow onto each thigh and propping her chin up in her hands. Her smile was excited and curious.

_Oh god, how do I explain this circus?_

"Oh jeez, okay... Well, Justin, Trevor and this whole little skater posse," she said, her eyes angled up in thought. "Trevor's dating Dana Ward, who is also one of our best friends."

"That definitely makes sense," Chloe snickered, "and explains some things. I bet they're still a bunch of burnout troublemakers." She made a 'hm' noise. "I didn't really know Dana. She seemed cool, though."

"They are, you have no idea," Max giggled. "And yeah, she's awesome. She's always flirting with us..." Max smiled sweetly. "And there's Kate Marsh, of course. You fucking love her. You're so protective of her and it just melts my heart."

"Oh," Chloe blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, "that's cool. She always seemed really nice. Especially from what she...uh, you, told me."

"And here's the kicker!" Max held up a finger. "She's dating Victoria Chase. We're friends with her, too. And Taylor and Courtney. That whole Mean Girls clique. They're our close friends."

"Wait..." Chloe's brows knitted together, "the bitchy girl who made her want to kill herself?"

_That feels so long ago... It's hard to remember that happened in any reality. It's so different now._

"Yeah, but it wasn't just Vic that did that," Max said, "and things are so, so different." She waved her hands away from each other slowly, as if doing magic. "She never tried to kill herself and once Victoria learned about everything, she was just crushed with guilt," she said, ignoring the look on Chloe's face at the word 'guilt.' "And of course, me being nosy like I am, I encouraged them to get together. You did, too. It was like a little game."

_Man, that's so weird to think about. To go from one extreme to the other... So weird._

"I don't even know either of them that well and that sounds off as hell," Chloe replied with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "With the whole religion thing and... Damn, that's cray cray."

"Oh yes," Max agreed with a roll of her eyes, "the religion thing has presented its share of problems. Kate's mother didn't take the news very well and she hates us too. But the rest of her family is...okay-ish. She has a little sister that we've basically adopted and..." Max gasped. "Oh! Warren!" She quietly cackled. "You act like his mom, it's so funny. Actually, he knows about all the time travel stuff. I told him and he's..." Max stopped at Chloe's sober expression. "What?"

"Warren," she said quietly, as if she were talking to someone else.

_That look..._

"Chloe?" Max leaned to the side, trying to read Chloe's eyes.

"Warren, uh," Chloe said, then she gulped, "he was one of the first we found. You...you just fell apart right there. It was so, so horrible. He was... His..." She slowly touched a hand to her neck, then dropped it back down as she snorted with disdain. "It was fucked. He  _helped_ us. It felt so...like, of  _course_ he'd be the one we found. Like a fucking taunt from...whatever that fucking thing was..."

_Oh no, Warren..._

"He's, um," Max shrank a little, trying not to picture anything other than him smiling, "he's doing really well. Dating Brooke Scott and...you know, he's our boy and..." Suddenly, one thought connected to another and she tilted her head curiously. "Hey... How are you feeling?"

_Is it not happening?_

"A little bit of everything," Chloe answered. "Happy, angry, sad..."

"No, I-" Max sighed, "I mean, physically." Max brought a hand to her head. "Your head?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she responded, then quirked an eyebrow, "why?"

_Okay, don't need to get into this. Yet, anyway..._

"Just wondering," Max said, "I'll explain if we have the time..." She glanced back at the window, watching the orange aura dance in the sky. Max puckered her lips. "How...long did it last?"

"I don't know," Chloe said, understanding without further elaboration, "maybe two hours? Three? Not very long. But it was just so... _vicious._ " A small, sickly smile appeared. "Only place it didn't hit was the lighthouse. Everywhere but us. It just went through the whole place like a wrecking ball." She rubbed her own arms, fighting off an uncomfortable chill of remembrance. "I can still see it so easily. It's always just off to the side in my head." She bundled her lips to the side. "Then it just vanished once it reached the edge of town. Tore up the Prescott's place and then...poof."

_Wait, what? That's... **what?**_

"It disappeared right after it destroyed the Prescott's property?" Max asked, her twitching hands falling to her sides.

"Yeah," Chloe scoffed, "the only upside to that fucking thing was hearing about how gruesome Sean's death was." When Max didn't say anything, she continued. "They said they found him under this fucking statue of one of his relatives. Smashed his head like a fucking watermelon..."

"Woah..." Max said, staring down into the blankets.

"Hella woah," Chloe replied, and Max instinctively smirked at the word. "The last bit of karma in the world. I'm glad it was cashed in wiping that fucking family off the face of the Earth." She squinted. "How did all of that shake out in your timeline? Nathan and...and, um, Jefferson, and all that?" It was clear by the way she said his name that her Max had told her the extent of her time in The Dark Room.

_I can't imagine that went any better over in this timeline..._

"Arrested," Max responded, "both of them. Nathan got caught as soon as he shot you and then he ratted out Jefferson. And Sean is under investigation..."

_Sean..._

"I kind of prefer my version," Chloe said with an acidic chuckle. "Dead... Feel bad for the worms, though. They deserve better food."

"I know," Max nodded, still uncomfortable that such an ugly feeling held favor in her mind. It sometimes scared her how much she hated them. "Uh, anyway...I don't know. There's just so much to tell you."

"I'm sure," Chloe replied. "It sounds so...awesome. I just..." She clenched a fist tightly, then let it relax. "I am happy for you. I really, really am. I promise."

"Thanks." Max accepted it as humbly as possible, but it still felt woefully inadequate. Then, she found she was no longer able to hold off her own curiosity. "Hey, if you don't mind..." She huddled her knees to her chest, resting her cheek on one of them. "Could you tell me about you guys? What...happened?"

"I guess that's only fair, huh?" Chloe nodded. She quickly bounded from the bed and snagged the pack of cigarettes before returning. The motion was frantic and the look on her face was reminiscent of when someone takes a shot to settle their nerves. "Right, right... Okay..."

"If it's too hard..." Max offered, but Chloe shook her head, flicking the match to vanquish its flame.

"No, I can do it," she said. With a long pull on the cigarette, she muttered indiscernible words of encouragement to herself. "So...okay. When we were up at the lighthouse, I told you to go back through the photo to the start of the week. And instead of doing it, you just...ripped the picture. You let the wind take it away." There was a quiet sniff. "The storm took everything. Even that."

_I did that? I...really almost did, too. Why didn't I? Why **did** the other me?_

"Were you mad?" Max asked. As petty as it was, that was one of the biggest things that factored into her decision.

"Not mad," Chloe said, "not really. I was mostly just...shocked. I never, ever expected you to choose me. In my mind, it wasn't really a decision." Max glanced down, ashamed that she couldn't say the same. "We watched the storm run over the town until we just...couldn't anymore. So we hid out on the other side of the lighthouse where we couldn't see." She huffed sharply. "The rain was so fucking cold. It was so goddamn cold... And then, like I said, it just stopped." The ember of the cigarette burst vibrantly. "It was surreal. The clouds disappeared. The sky turned so blue... It was beautiful." Her head moved left and right, only just barely. "It was the most beautiful sky I'd ever seen. It was fucking awful."

_That's so weird. Like...magic, almost._

"The storm really wasn't normal, was it?" Max asked. It had always seemed to be the case, but now there was an eye witness to confirm it.

"No," Chloe answered coldly. "No, it wasn't."

"What happened then?" Max pressed the home button on the phone, looking at the wallpaper of her and Chloe somewhere nice and warm.

_Wow, we really did travel around._

"Well, once it was clear, we hurried back into town to check on everyone..." She made a pained expression. "It was in ruins. Everything was so fucked. There were people, uh..." She squinted at Max, who nodded, allowing her to skip over the details. "Anyway, after a few hours of searching, it just got quiet. Neither of us could talk. Or scream. Or cry. Or..." She shook her head. "We just...left."

"Where did you go?" Max shivered, whether from the A/C or the story, she didn't know. She stuck her feet under the blanket.

"We went straight to her...ugh, your parent's place," Chloe said. "The storm was all over the news and rescue teams were headed to Arcadia Bay, so it felt like we'd just be in the way. And..." She pouted and sighed, "and we barely talked the whole drive." She chuckled sadly. "It was crazy. Completely crazy. You picked me over fucking everything and...it all got destroyed. And we couldn't even talk to each other?" She looked at Max with a confused smile, as though she might be able to explain.

"It must have been a total system shock," Max said. "I can't even pretend to know... I don't think I'd know what to say."

_I'd have no fucking idea._

"Yeah," Chloe responded. "When we got to your parents', that's when it all came crashing down. Crying and shouting and...god, just everything. All four of us. They kept saying it was a miracle that we made it out, but that felt so...cruel, you know? But then, that night..." Chloe plucked at the blanket and a loving smile came to her lips. "We were still having trouble talking. I just remember, it was so fucking quiet. All I could hear was my own heart fucking screaming." She pressed a hand against her chest. "I guess you must have heard it too..."

Max watched as Chloe's cheeks flushed, her voice growing quieter as she spoke. She might not have known  _this_ Chloe as well as she knew her own, but she knew enough to see that this was the behavior of someone madly in love. So in love that it didn't seem real, that she needed to remind herself over and over that she was even capable of such an enormous stroke of luck. It was then that Max was sure, without any trace of doubt, that across every possibility, across all timelines, realities, rewinds... She and Chloe were in love.

"I was trying not to cry," Chloe continued, "trying and failing so fucking hard. I felt so lost. I didn't know how bad you regretted your decision. I didn't know if you wanted me there or if you wanted me to leave or...I don't know. I wasn't sure about fucking anything. But you..." Chloe sniffled, her smile growing wide enough to show her teeth. "You hugged me and looked me right in my red as hell eyes. You'll never believe what you said."

"What?" Max asked quietly, completely enraptured.

"You just said 'I'm sure.' You said it like you were reading my fucking mind," Chloe said. "And then...you kissed me.  _You_ kissed  _me!_ And that's when I knew that, as fucked up as everything was, it was going to be okay." She laughed. "I knew I was sure, too."

_Wow._

"That's so..." Max glanced around her, snickered, "that's so romantic. Is that weird to say?"

"Maybe a little narcissistic," Chloe chuckled, returning the playfulness. "But you're right. It was the most magical moment in my entire life. Everything was ruined and fucked and terrible. Except...her." She gave a knowing smirk. "You."

"That sounds very familiar," Max replied, relaxing back onto her palms. "What happened from there?"

"Oh, right," Chloe stamped out the cigarette and lit another. Max noticed how much more appealing they seemed from the gaze of her new body, which was a very strange feeling. "So, we stayed with your parents for a few months. They were so, so great. They treated me like a daughter immediately and did everything they could to try and take care of us." She narrowed her eyes and made a tight smile. "Made us go to therapy, but...we definitely needed it."

"I'm sure," Max said. She wondered how difficult it must have been to talk with someone and not be able to mention time travel or any of the experiences that came from it. "Therapy is good."

"It was..." Chloe released a brusque gust of breath, "difficult. But, yeah, good. It helped deal with all the attention." Max looked at her curiously. "Well, the storm was a big fucking deal. Global news. And we were the only two survivors..."

_Oh fuck. That's...a bad recipe._

"God, please don't tell me..." Max started.

"Interviews, articles, scientists..." Chloe grumbled. "We did a few before it was way too much to deal with and stopped." She gained an offended look. "People wanted to turn us into celebrities! Like I didn't just lose my family and my home. And it's not like we could explain that it was some kind of fucking...time tornado." She growled a bit. "They were fucking relentless. Thankfully, your parents handled that, too."

_God, I want to retroactively pull a Victoria and punch them out._

"That's so fucking infuriating," Max muttered. She sighed and rubbed at her face. "I'm glad that got taken care of..." She looked around the room. "So, why...aren't you guys still with my parents? Did something happen?"

_Please tell me things are still okay on that front._

"Well, we still kind of are?" Chloe shrugged. "Nothing bad happened or anything, they're just letting us do our own thing for a little. Max or me call them twice a day to check in." She nodded at the phone in front of Max. "Like I said, we've been doing a lot of traveling. That picture is from Florida." She grinned somewhat dreamily. "Ah man, that was a fun week. We went parasailing! And I touched a dolphin on its little nose."

"That's...woah," Max clicked the button again to look over the picture once more.

_That sounds fun._

"Another really good trip was, uh, we went to Cali..." She held her hands up excitedly. "There was this big parade and we got stuck in it by accident! It was so scary!" She laughed wildly, and Max couldn't help but join in.

"A parade for  _what?_ " she asked, laughing.

"I have no clue!" Chloe's eyes were wide. "It could've been for fucking anything, seriously. There were lots of cars involved?" She shrugged innocently.

"That's so dumb but  _so_ us," Max responded, planting a palm on her face as she shook her head. "So, why are we here?" she asked once they had both calmed down.

"Oh..." Chloe brought one leg up and touched her chin to her knee, looking as though she had a secret. "We're actually here looking at schools..."

"Wow," Max couldn't help but jolt a little, "really? Here?"

"Mhm," Chloe responded. "NYFA? For photography, obviously. They expressed a lot of interest in your...her...work." She snorted. "This is getting really confusing."

"I understand what you mean," Max assured with a smile.

"Right, okay," Chloe chuckled. "But, um, yeah. We're meeting up with people there tomorrow. Figured I'd try my hand at graphic design. Been drawing a lot lately."

"Woah!" Max clapped her hands together excitedly. "That's awesome!"

_Holy shit, I'm so proud of...us?_

"Yeah," Chloe agreed timidly, "I hope it goes okay. I'm a little nervous." She looked up at Max. "What are you guys doing for school?"

_Oh. Hrm..._

"Uh...I'm actually taking a gap year to figure it all out," Max replied. She knew it was silly, but she felt a little embarrassed that another version of her that had to deal with much more adversity seemed to have more concrete plans than her.

_What's that say about me, I wonder... Then again, if they had the option, I'm sure they'd like another year in Arcadia Bay._

"Huh. That's cool," Chloe said, lacking any sort of judgment. She grinned and gestured around her. "Well, if you need inspiration..."

_Pfft, copying myself. That's trippy._

"That's...pretty weird," Max giggled. "But maybe it's something to think about. I'll definitely let Chloe know if we can..." Max frowned, suddenly remembering the current stakes and likely the very reason she was even having this conversation.

"If you can...?" Chloe repeated, trying lure out the rest of the thought.

_Oh man. Okay..._

"Like I said earlier, things are a little fucked up where I come from," Max said. She sighed and buried her face in her hands. " _Really_ fucked up," she amended.

"Is that why you're here?" Chloe asked, nervousness creeping into her words.

"I think so..." Max looked around her, taking in the details of the room. "I don't even know how to explain it, but we're possibly dealing with the end of...uh, the world? Or...everything, I guess?" She shook her head, the sentence sounding far too casual to her ears. "They...er, a version of me, said that we broke time and now timelines are mixing together or...something..."

"What do you mean the 'end' of everything?" Chloe's spine went rigid, her eyebrows raised high in her face.

"The universe? Existence?" Max laughed dryly. "That everything's going to go into some kind of cosmic blender and burn up the gears? I have no fucking idea."

"Uh..." Fear scattered through Chloe's eyes. "Does that include like...this?" At first, Max didn't understand. But then her head snapped up in realization.

_Holy shit! I didn't even think of that..._

"I...I don't know," Max admitted with a frown, "I guess it might..."

"Wow, that's..." Chloe swallowed audibly, then nodded, "yeah, that sounds pretty much our style, doesn't it?"

"Have you noticed anything weird going on here?" Max asked. Chloe shook her head no, then pointed at Max as if saying 'well...this.' "And your head didn't hurt whenever I told you about the other timeline?" Again, Chloe shook her head. "That's weird... Why is that?" The last part was mostly for herself.

"Should it have?" Chloe flipped the lid of the cigarette pack open and close so that it created a rhythm. "I mean, I feel fine."

_Why isn't it affecting her?_

"That's how it works where I'm from," Max mused, "but it looks like it's different here... For some reason." She shrugged. "When someone finds out about other timelines, their head gets all crazy. Or..." The image of Chloe lying on the floor, shrieking in pain as she bled from her nose, mouth and eyes struck a dark chord. "Or sometimes its worse."

"Well, uh," Chloe shifted herself so her back was against a large pillow, "how are you guys going to fix it?" Max let out a loud, involuntary laugh.

_Dude, if we knew..._

"We're...working on it,"she muttered.

"That's good," Chloe said. When Max cringed, she held up a hand. "No, seriously. I mean...it  _is_ good. It's like taking matters into our own hands." She held hers up and flipped from palm to back a few times. "Our hands are your hands, right?"

"I guess so, yeah," Max replied, managing a small smile. "You're being pretty calm about this."

"Ah, I don't know," Chloe clicked her tongue, shrugging casually, "in a lot of ways, I think I already went through the whole end of the world thing. It feels like familiar territory."

_That's...fucking awful..._

"Yeah, of course," Max said quietly. She drew a circle listlessly in the sheets, then looked up at Chloe. "Our only lead right now is the Prescotts. Nathan knows about the storm."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Chloe rubbed one of her eyes roughly. "What the fuck? What do you mean?"

"He...I don't know, he said something to Victoria about a storm," Max responded. "I'm still not sure what it actually means or if it's helpful, but it's all we have right now." A heavy, quiet noise sparked in Max's throat. "Chloe... The storm might not have been my fault."

"...what?" Chloe's eyes went wide. "It wasn't?"

"I'm still...so unclear," Max said. "But it might not have been."

"If...if that's true..." Chloe looked down at her hands, "then that means all of this..."

_It would lift a huge weight off their shoulders. At least knowing they didn't cause it..._

"I still don't know for sure," Max clarified. "It's hard to tell what's true and what isn't anymore."

Rather than respond, Chloe's eyes glazed over in thought. A silence swept through the room, though it was hard to call it entirely unpleasant. It was more just...conflicted. Difficult truths had been spoken from each of them. Truths that had weight and occupied space. Max's head was certainly bursting with all she'd learned, and she could only imagine Chloe's was ten times as crowded. That's why, when Chloe finally spoke, it was a relief.

"Uh, hey, do you..." Chloe let go of a breath that rattled her lower lip, "do you want to grab some coffee or something?" Max arched an eyebrow. "I know that's weird, but I could use a donut and caffeine." She narrowed her eyes as she chuckled. "I do kind of have a hangover."

_Ahhh okay, that's one mystery solved._

"That explains why my head hurts," Max laughed. "Wait, let me check something..." She stood up from the bed and went back over to the window. The orange filter was lower now, covering the tops of the tallest buildings the way clouds obscured mountain peaks. But, notably, it lacked any of the walls it usually had. The space 360 degrees around her didn't seem to be locked off. "I guess I might be able to."

_Well, that's new. I'm just going to get smushed from the top._

Max collected a less winkled set of clothing and disappeared into the bathroom. She looked them over, interested in what sort of style another version of her had come to favor. Once she was dressed, she looked in the mirror and twisted her hips side to side, deciding she was quite jealous of the cute shorts. She made a mental note to find a similar pair once she returned to her timeline. She was then reminded how making plans for anything beyond 'fix time' was a dangerous practice. She ran a hand through her shorter hair, much more reminiscent to her older style, and left the bathroom.

Chloe was already waiting by the door. Max noticed a guitar case leaning against the wall beside her, and the thought that she'd presumably played for Chloe brought a warmth to her chest. Warmth, chill, happy, sad... If nothing else, the rapid switching between emotions was incredibly taxing. With a smile, she nodded, letting Chloe know she was ready.

"This is too crazy," Max said once they were outside, her eyes flicking wildly around the city. She'd at least gotten used to the general  _feel_ of a city atmosphere during her time in Seattle, but New York was an entirely different beast. In fact, just the realization that she was all the way on the other side of the county made her mind spin almost as much as the chaos around her.

_Did we...drive this whole way? God, we're so far. Oregon is like a million miles away._

"It's cool, right?" Chloe gave a subtle nod to herself. She then slowly reached for Max's arm, ready to pull away if necessary. When there was no protest, she found a soft grip in the crook of Max's elbow and started leading her down the street. "So, there's this, uh, little place just a few blocks down. We've eaten there pretty much every day. You really like it."

"Sounds exciting," she responded, giving her a smile. "It's weird that you know that and I don't..." She looked at Chloe a little more closely, then rolled her eyes, feeling a bit silly.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing," Max replied, "it's just...your hair looks nice. It's still super blue where I come from." Hesitantly, she reached beside her and flicked a blonde lock of hair. "Just goes to show, you can rock any style you want."

_I sometimes forget how pretty her natural hair color is..._

"Oh, thanks," Chloe chuckled, "I just haven't kept up with it." She scrunched her nose, glancing sideways at Max. "Are we flirting?" Max let out a loud 'ha!'

_Oh gosh!_

"I don't think so," she said with an easy laugh. She took note of Chloe's grasp on her. "I think this is just how we are?" Deciding to test this Chloe's brand of humor, she gave her a playful nudge. "I'm spoken for, and I'd never cockblock myself. She has full ownership."

"Pfft, ownership, okay," Chloe scoffed, then she wiggled her head back and forth. "Alright, yeah. Ownership."

After several precarious jogs across the street, Chloe brought them to a stop in front of a quaint shop. She pulled the door open and stepped back, gesturing for Max to go ahead before her. This made Max laugh and give an exaggerated bow in thanks as she moved into the building. She stepped up to the counter and waited for Chloe to join her.

"Hey," Chloe said, snagging the barista's attention, "can I get a large black?" He nodded before she was finished speaking and didn't even bother to look at Max. "And uh, two...whatever-the-fuck donuts you have today."

_That's definitely Chloe. No doubt about it._

"Apple crumb," he replied. Chloe snapped and pointed at him.

"Apple, totally. I should know this by now." She dug out her wallet and cracked it open, angling it toward herself so others couldn't see. Max could, however, and she marveled at the enormous bundle of cash. Chloe flipped through to the back and pulled out a twenty, handing it to the barista. "And of course," she continued, sliding a five across the counter for him. With a grin, he nodded, then turned to begin working on their order.

"So,I guess you guys must tip like fiends," Max chuckled, sitting across from Chloe in a booth. The bakery was different from the Two Whales in just about every conceivable way. Rather than keep up with the traditional diner aesthetic, it was almost sickeningly hip, with vinyl records lining the burnt orange walls. Still, there was an unmistakable familiarity in sitting in such a place.

"Well, I mean," Chloe rolled her hand around on her wrist, "if we have it to spare..."

"You know what's funny?" Max leaned forward with her elbows on the table. "The other you would be super grateful for that."

_Grateful is an understatement. She's liable to jump on the table and dance at a tip like that._

"That is...weird." Chloe grimaced in jest. "I'm such a fucking sellout, damn. You should slap her on the wrist for me."

"I gotchoo," Max snickered with a wink.

Before anything else could be said, the barista was over at the table setting their drinks in front of them, followed by a paper bag in the center of the table. He flashed a wide smile at Max, then retreated back behind the counter.

"He has a crush on you," Chloe explained with an impish smirk. Max turned back to the counter and caught him glancing away. "Don't worry, he's cool though. I've done enough for him to know you're not available."

" _That_ I can believe," Max laughed. "You're the same way in my timeline. Always with the PDA." Chloe let a thoughtful 'hmm' rumble in her throat.

"So, can you tell me about..." she tapped her index finger against her cup, then smiled awkwardly, "me?"

_About Chloe... **My** Chloe._

"I don't even know where to begin," Max sighed dreamily, "she is everything to me. I never even knew it was possible to feel about someone the way I do about her." The exchanged a quick look, wordlessly stressing the absurdity of the discussion. She brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. "I don't know, she's just..." Max looked down at the cup. "What is this? It's amazing!"

"Oh Christ," Chloe huffed, throwing herself back against her seat. "You wouldn't believe how much I've had to listen to you fucking orgasm about that goddamn drink. It's  _so_ fucked up that you can't even have  _that_ difference!" Max burst into laughter and Chloe followed suit. It was loud enough to draw attention, but neither cared. "It's some fucking weird cappuccino thing with charcoal and white chocolate."

_Wow, what._

"That's...obnoxious," Max said, her snicker bouncing off the lid of the drink as she took another sip. She set it down and planted her hands on the table. "Anyway, the other you..." Chloe nodded. "So, like I said, you work at the Two Whales. The morning shift." Chloe flared her nostrils and bared her teeth. "I know, I know. Usually, as soon as you're done, we hang out. Either at Blackwell or your place."

"Spending time at Blackwell on purpose..." she mused. She flitted her hand for Max to continue.

"We kind of just spend time doing...whatever," Max said. "But no matter what it is, it's where I want to be. Nothing has ever felt as right as when I'm beside you, as corny as it sounds. It's never boring."

_God, I really do sound like a bad romance movie sometimes. It's so gross._

"Dude, trust me, I know," Chloe responded with facetious dryness.

"I guess you would," Max chuckled. "You're really laid back, but also still a total smartass. I love it so much. You always have something slick to say, no matter the circumstance." Chloe smiled, pride glowing in her features. "But you're also so...loving. You always take care of me, make sure I'm alright. You drop everything if you think something's wrong. But not just me. It's like I said with Kate, you're just this walking bundle of sweetness."

"You make it sound like I'm some kind of mother hen," Chloe said, amused.

_Yeah, if the nest fits._

"Not far off, honestly," Max replied. She took another sip, then reached into the bag for her donut. "I'm so hungry..." She looked at Chloe inquisitively. "When did I eat last?"

_Hm. I wonder..._

"Last night," Chloe answered. "We had...uh..." her eyes angled up in thought, "spaghetti? You ate like a total piglet. Why?"

"I don't think I ate like a piglet," Max said with certainty, then she laughed. "But you once went on this tirade about what eating would be like after time traveling... I was just wondering if I could find an answer for you."

"I  _have_ always wondered about that," she said, her voice dipping into quiet contemplation.

_Ha! That's cute._

"This is crazy good too," Max pointed at the donut.

"It is," Chloe agreed, tearing off a piece of her own and popping it in her mouth. "Now I'm wondering if my Max will be hungry when she comes back."

"Not if I have a say in it," Max giggled, eying the counter with dreams of second helpings. She turned back to Chloe and smiled. "But, I don't know, it's hard to explain you. Especially when you feel the way I do..." She trailed off, mentally cupping her hands around the flame of her thought to protect it.

"No, I understand," Chloe said. She absentmindedly ran her finger along the paper bag that once held their donuts. "I understand..." She looked at Max, her eyes suddenly heavy with emotion. "It's been so hard..." Her voice was a whisper.

"I'm...sorry," Max replied. 'I know' didn't seem like a fair response.

"Don't be." Chloe waved the apology away. "It's just... The storm took everything." She switched to picking apart the donut in her hands. "My home. My family. Everyone and everything I knew. And, to know that it could've been prevented if only she'd chosen differently..." She looked around her at the scattering of other patrons. "It's so hard not to want that sometimes, you know? Not...not that I'd want to die, but..."

"Chloe," Max shook her head sternly, chopping off the thought.

"Exactly," Chloe chuckled quietly. "You're there with your...needing me. It's so frustrating. Wanting to evaporate but knowing you can't because you love someone else more than you might hate yourself." She gave Max a long, searching look. "My entire life crumbled into dust and death. I  _shouldn't_  be okay. But...I am. Because of her. Because of you." Her lips tightened and she sniffled. "I don't know, man. On the day that everything fell apart, you made me laugh. You kissed me. You somehow made the worst day of my life also the best." She shook her head. "That's incredible. No one should be allowed to be that bright in the darkness."

_...wow..._

"Chloe," Max said again, this time much softer.

"So, there was this one time," Chloe continued, sniffling and taking on a more conversational tone, "we were in Seattle. And I mean, you know how it is there, fucking rainy all the time." She collected a bit of the destroyed donut and put it in her mouth. "It was storming its ass off. The sky was so black and angry and I was..." she gave an embarrassed laugh, "I was terrified. I was shaking like crazy." She lulled for a moment, and Max was about to tell her how she'd had the same problem, but Chloe pushed on. "And then, like some kind of psycho, you opened the window in your room and climbed out onto the roof..." Max had gone completely still, watching her with intensity as something prickled at her memory. "So, of course, I freaked. I didn't want you out there. But you wouldn't come in, so I had to follow you out..."

Max could almost picture it playing out perfectly. It seemed so familiar.

"And we get out there," Chloe said, "and it's pouring fucking rain. There's thunder, there's lightning. And we're on the roof like these two dumb fucking lightning rods..." She laughed, shaking her head. "You just...held me so close. Like you were showing me again that you wouldn't let me go." Chloe smiled, her eyes shining. "I guess it seems kind of small, but I could never forget that moment. You took this big, scary thing and made it nothing. You just replaced it with...you." Her eyes fell half-lidded. "The craziest thing is that it just so happened to be-"

"Our one month anniversary..." Max said automatically. It wasn't even a guess. Chloe sat up straight, her mouth open and eyes narrowed.

"Yeah..." she said slowly. "How did you know that?" Max didn't immediately reply, but something in her face must have given her away. Chloe simply stared in awe, then she grinned. "Really?"

"Except it was the other way around," Max responded. "I was the one who was scared."

"Did I fix it?" Chloe asked. Max looked outside for a moment, carefully sifting through different memories. She thought of all the times Chloe had fought and defeated that which plagued her mind. She turned back to Chloe and smiled.

"You always do," she said softly.

They stayed in the shop for almost two hours, long after their food and drink had disappeared. They talked more about each others experiences, trying to steer clear of the sadder parts, but still touching on them when needed. Even when listening to the endless horror she and Chloe had gone through since the storm, she found an extraordinary amount of happiness in their relationship. It was so similar to her own. Wonderful, lively, chaotic. She supposed that if she had to admit that anyone had as special of a connection as her and Chloe, she'd prefer that it'd in fact actually be her and Chloe.

Eventually, when it seemed like they'd spoken of all the good parts that could come to mind, they decided to move on from the little cafe. They stepped outside and Max looked up. The bubbling, orange aura was sinking along the buildings at a faster rate than before. It washed over the windows, the pigeons in mid-flight, the especially high billboards. Chloe followed Max's gaze, even though she was unable to see anything herself.

"Is it almost time?" she asked. Her tone had a conflicted feel about it.

_Looks like it._

"I think so," Max responded. She smiled at Chloe. "You're...gonna have your Max back soon."

"I'm...excited," Chloe admitted bashfully. "We don't spend much time apart, so it's weird... I miss her after just this little bit of time." Though not its intention, that did register as complimentary to Max. Chloe sucked her teeth, her face becoming serious. "Should I tell her about this? About...how everything is in your timeline?"

_Ah. That's...difficult._

"I...don't know," Max replied. "I don't think we should lie to each other, no matter the universe. But...I don't know how I'd react to that. After everything she had to go through. Even if it wasn't my, or our, fault."

"Yeah..." Chloe continued staring into the sky, at the aura she was unable to see. "I can't do that to her." Max turned to her, not entirely surprised by the decision. "It's just... I can't rip those wounds open. I can't do that to her. And I mean," she shrugged, "maybe things are fucked up. Maybe they could've gone better. But I'm still... I still love her with every fucking ounce of my heart." She sniffled, then brushed away a stray tear. "I don't want her to think I'd ever, ever prefer anything other than the life I have with her right here, right now." She smiled brilliantly as she finally looked at Max. "Because I don't."

_Chloe being Chloe... I can't believe I got this lucky in more than one universe._

"If it counts," Max said, "as her surrogate, I understand. I think she would, too. And whatever you do end up deciding, I know you'll be able to get through it." She looked back to the sky, the lava-like orange falling faster. "I think I believe in fate."

"Yeah?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah," Max nodded. "Seeing how you two are. Seeing how you were in the timeline where William lived. We just...we fit together. I think we're always supposed to."

_Two halves of a whole._

"I'll buy that," Chloe chuckled quietly. "Maybe we're the one thing that never changes." It seemed very unlikely to be true, but Max nodded easily as if it were. She believed it, anyway. She turned her gaze back upward. It was closing in, only ten feet or so above them.

"I have to go," she said, turning back to Chloe. Without any of the shyness from earlier, she stepped forward and took the girl in a hug. "Give her a big hug when she gets back," she whispered. "I can literally guarantee she'd love it."

"Will do," Chloe returned the whisper. She clutched Max tightly, then stepped back. "I'm...glad I got to meet you." The playful smirk danced on her face, admitting her uncertainty in how to actually word the experience. Then she grew a bit more serious. "Hey, good luck with that whole...end of the world thing. I know you guys will figure it out." Max gave a nod in promise. Chloe smiled, then leaned in close to her, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

And then everything was a haze.

* * *

Max opened her eyes. It was soft and slow, not at all like when they were torn open from a bad dream. She immediately recognized the wall across from her as the one in Chloe's room. She felt arms around her waist, and could tell without even looking that they were the ones she belonged in. Carefully, she reached for the phone that was close to falling off of the edge of the bed. She clicked the home button and was greeted with the wallpaper she was used to. Though, her brow did crinkle with confusion at the clock. It read 12:01AM, just a breath inside of the day she had already lived. Then, the clock changed. Only, it rolled backwards to 12:00AM. The start of the day.

_That's...interesting. So did I not really miss much time?_

"Babe?" Chloe rasped, and Max could feel the weight leave the pillow beside her as she picked up her head. "Are you alright?" With a smile, Max set the phone down and rolled over.

_She even sounds just a little bit different. A little more...mine._

"Yeah," she whispered, gently brushing Chloe's cheeks with her knuckles. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Chloe replied, resting her forehead against Max's as she secured her grip around her waist. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No," Max shook her head, "something else..." Part of her thought she should keep everything for the morning, to allow Chloe a comfortable night sleep. There was no telling how many of those they'd have in the coming days. But she thought of the other Chloe and her decision to not tell the other Max. She understood the choice, and thought she might be able to make up for it on her end. "I went to another timeline."

"What?" Chloe asked, panic eking into her voice as she sat up. Max didn't. She simply rolled onto her back, took Chloe's hands, and held them to her chest.

"It's okay," she said soothingly. "It's okay. I promise." She brought Chloe's hands to her lips and kissed each one. "Do you want me to tell you now or in the morning?"

"Now sounds good," Chloe responded quickly, clearly unsettled. Max nodded and sat up.

"What happened at the party?" she asked. "The last thing I remember is going out to the big room after talking to Dana about school."

_How much DID I miss?_

"Really?" Chloe's eyes darted around the room. "Uh, I don't know... We stayed longer than we planned, but not too long. There was, uh, I don't know. They played games and we just watched. Hung out with Dana, Justin, and Trevor after he-"

Quick as lightning, a collection of images filled Max's head. It was like a flipbook, where the still images moved so quickly that they became animated. She remembered Trevor losing his fifth match in pong. She remembered watching one of the girls spill a cup of red wine all over her white shirt. She remembered Dana leading her and Chloe outside, where they talked more about where the future would direct them. She remembered looking at the stars, and the glowing moon, and the way Chloe hugged her tightly. She remembered all of it.

"Oh," Max said, interrupting Chloe's retelling of the night's events. Max smiled and leaned forward, kissing Chloe on the nose. "The stars... They really did remind me of you." A squeak escaped Chloe's throat.

"You remember?" she asked.

"I do," Max answered, bringing a hand beneath her nose to catch the small trail of blood. Seeing this, Chloe once again grew a frantic look, but Max waved her hand. "I'm okay. I'm okay." Chloe slipped out of bed and collected a bundle of tissues.

"Let me see," she said quietly, pulling Max's hand away. Lovingly, she dabbed the tissue under Max's nose. "What happened, Max?"

"I woke up somewhere else," Max began, "some _when_  else..." She snickered at herself. "I was in bed in a strange room, and there was a girl next to me I didn't recognize." Chloe's eyebrows angled sharply and Max laughed. "No, no," she insisted. "It was...you. But a different you."

"What?" Chloe's voice was ghostly as all of her fears relating to alternate realities flooded into her mind.

_I hate when you have that look. My poor Chloe._

"It was a different timeline," Max said, tenderly stroking Chloe's cheek. "A timeline where I chose you at the cliff." She shook her head sadly. "The storm... It destroyed everything." A question danced in Chloe's eyes, and Max nodded. And that was all that needed to be said about it. "But listen," she moved closer until one of her legs was overlapping Chloe's, "we were together. You and me. We were together and in love and... It was the same as here."

"We were?" Chloe asked, still struggling to project any volume into her voice.

"Yes." Max issued several kisses to Chloe's cheeks. "Yes, we were together..." Max smiled wide, looking deeply into Chloe's eyes. "I told you. No matter what reality, you and me are together. I'm yours all the way through." Chloe's shoulders slacked, releasing a tension that had been straining her for months.

"This...this is crazy," Chloe said. She set her jaw as her eyes fluttered shut, and when she opened them again there was calm. "Tell me about it?"

"Of course," Max responded.

And so Max relayed everything. No detail went untold, and there were moments of pain, of laughter, of love. Several times, Chloe cried, but she smiled even more. All the while, they tangled together. Closer and closer until their hearts beat against each other. Their voices fell to whispers not even time could hear. The words were breathed, not spoken. Kisses were noiseless, soaking through skin to take root in soul. And when she was finished, when the story had been told in full, neither of them thought of the world ending. They could only think of their love continuing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh hey! Happy Valentine's Day! I figured, hey, since love is the trending topic, why not talk about a love that transcends time and space? I hope you liked the chapter, I've been quite excited to write this one for a very, very long time now.
> 
> Fun fact: Many, many, maaaaaaaany moons ago, this chapter was titled... Play Crack The Sky. Had to change it though because reasons ;p
> 
> Anyways, as I said, I hope you liked the chapter! I'll see you guys again sooooooon? Maybe. Who knows!


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